EAST RUTHERFORD – Pitch-and-catch. That might not even do it justice. The perfect call at the perfect time had Garrett Wilson open in the end zone, nine yards from his quarterback. Aaron Rodgers saw it. The protection held up. He let it fly.
This would put the Jets up three scores, start the rout against a Seahawks team woefully uncalibrated to eastern standard time. Rodgers had thrown 494 touchdowns in his storied career. Few were as straightforward as this one.
The ball sailed over Wilson’s head. Rodgers threw a pick-six to defensive lineman Leonard Williams on the next play. The Jets went on to lose, 26-21. Not only did the offense not score again. They never reached the red zone.
You wonder if that might be the end of Rodgers in New York.
“It kind of changed the momentum of the game,” Rodgers said.
It’s startling to believe it’s reached this point considering where it all began. There was so much optimism a few short months ago. This wasn’t just a playoff team, but one capable of making a legitimate run.
The offensive line: Improved. Their playmakers: Infused. Their defense: In tact.
The key to it all, though, was Rodgers. The four-time MVP was back.
The calendar turned to December – meaningful games this month were once the barometer for this team. New York sits at 3-9. They aren’t officially eliminated from playoff contention, but their chances are less than one percent. One more victory from the Chargers or Broncos, or one more Jets loss, and that will make end it.
It will be the 14th straight year absent the postseason for New York – the longest drought amongst the four major sporting leagues. They’ll have a losing record for the ninth-straight year. One more loss and they’ll have their 10th double-digit losing season in their last 13, including five straight.
That’s disappointing.
Rodgers’ struggles are a microscopic spark-note of this franchise’s ineptitude, but this year, they seem to be the mascot of it all.
“There’s a lot of frustrating things,” he said.
Rodgers finished Sunday 21-of-39 (53.8 percent) for 185 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. It’s the fifth time he’s finished with under 200 yards passing. He’s yet to throw for 300. His eight interceptions are tied for second most since 2010. This for a Jets team that once sat 2-3, readying for a game to take sole possession of first place in the AFC East.
The 41-year-old has dealt with injuries throughout the year (two knee, hamstring, ankle), but received no treatment this week and came off the injury report. It didn’t matter. This was, per EPA, his worst performance of the year. Maybe most alarming: This was the fifth time Rodgers had the ball in his hands with a chance to drive down the field and win the game (realistic amount of time).
The Jets are winless in those games.
On Sunday, Rodgers got the Jets to the Seahawks’ 29. He threw an incompletion to Davante Adams, a pass to Isaiah Davis for no gain, took a sack from Williams, then threw an incompletion in the zip code of Garrett Wilson.
“Well, there are 11 guys on the field,” Rodgers said of his struggles. “Sometimes it’s my fault. Definitely multiple times today. And then the details aren’t there in some other spots, too.”
The Jets held a meeting, as first reported by The Athletic, after their loss to the Broncos where it was suggested they bench Rodgers in favor of veteran Tyrod Taylor. The offensive staff convinced higher ups to not make such a move and the shakeup was tabled. It appears, though, it’s once again in consideration.
Interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich, who has emphatically shut down any discussion of a quarterback change in the past, was much less definitive on Sunday. When asked about considering a quarterback, Ulbrich said “Not as of today.”
Rodgers, too, spoke matter-of-factly.
“I don’t know,” he said. “We’ll figure that out when we have those conversations.”
It’s highly unlikely benching Rodgers would accomplish anything. Taylor is a competent backup, but not a long-term answer. Maybe he provides a spark for a week – he’d certainly help the Jets stretch the ball down the field – but eventually he’ll regress to the mean.
Remove Rodgers’ name, though, and this is when changes are made. Rodgers hasn’t throw for 250-plus yards since Oct. 20. The offense has scored more than 21 points just twice since Sept. 29. They’ve lost three straight and eight of their last nine.
And Rodgers doesn’t factor into their plans long-term.
As first reported by SNY two weeks ago, Rodgers returning to the Jets in 2025 was “highly unlikely.” They wanted a fresh start at general manager, head coach and quarterback. While Rodgers expressed his desire to return (depending on who the new general manager and head coach were), the Jets questioned whether or not Rodgers could take them where they wanted to go.
Rodgers, for maybe the first time in a decade, needed to convince his team to keep him as their quarterback.
That was supposed to start this Sunday, he failed.
The Jets have already fired Joe Douglas and Robert Saleh. Next would be Rodgers.
And, like those before him, it’s becoming clear he might not finish the year.