Aaron Rodgers remains hopeful for the Jets' future
Two days after the Jets fell to a 3-7 record with a 31-6 loss against Arizona on Sunday, veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers appeared hopeful during his weekly chat on The Pat McAfee Show.
“You have to hold on to that beautiful thing in life called hope,” Rodgers said. “We aren’t mathematically eliminated. There is a lot to play for. At the end of the day, the one thing that we can play for, whether we are 10-0 or 3-7, is pride. Pride in your performance and pride in the product you are putting on the field.”
The Jets started the season strong at 2-1, but since then, they’ve dropped six out of their last seven games. By Tuesday, after the Dolphins secured a 23-15 victory over the Rams, the Jets found themselves 11th in the AFC, trailing the Denver Broncos by two games for the 7th playoff spot.
Denver also holds the head-to-head tiebreaker against New York, making the path forward even tougher. Rodgers and the Jets may have moved past the point where optimism is enough to turn things around.
For New York, a meaningful comeback seems increasingly unlikely.
Firing head coach Robert Saleh hasn’t exactly been the spark to shift the team’s trajectory; if anything, the defense has noticeably weakened. Still, Rodgers has more to say.
When asked on Wednesday if he still envisions himself playing for the Jets next season, Rodgers responded with cautious optimism.
“I think so, yeah,” he told reporters at the team’s New Jersey facility.
Given the Jets’ disappointing season — and Rodgers’ own below-average performance — it wouldn’t be surprising if the four-time MVP was rethinking his long-term commitment.
In March, he mentioned hopes to “play two or three or four more years,” but the brutal stretch of six losses in seven games, coupled with his recovery from last season’s Achilles injury, might be testing his resolve as he approaches his 41st birthday.
In September, Rodgers recalled a remark from former coach Mike McCarthy about the Jets’ biggest challenge: “handling success.” Ironically, that challenge has faded since the team hasn’t had much success to handle recently.
Even in their better years, the Jets and their fans have carried a sense of inevitable disappointment. With the season going this poorly, patience for Rodgers and the team seems in short supply.
Read More: C.J. Stroud’s Texans jersey becomes NFL’s top-seller in 2024 season
Image: © Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
NFL 
