Back in January, when the New York Jets’ top brass had begun to assess how the 2022 NFL season spiraled out of hand for the franchise, it was hard for the franchise’s decision makers to trace a finger down the schedule and not get hung up on the Oct. 23 wins over the Denver Broncos.
The franchise had been riding a wave of momentum, driven by a running game finding its groove and a defense coalescing into something special. For a moment, it felt like something might be changing — like a window of great opportunity might be opening.
Unfortunately for New York, that wasn’t a window at all. It was actually a crater. And as the Jets departed their 16-9 win over Denver, it was widening beneath the feet of head coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas. In the next 24 hours, the Jets would lose running back Breece Hall (knee) and anchor offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker (triceps) for the season. Along with them went much of the momentum, a collective loss that ultimately buried a 5-2 start beneath a 2-8 finish.
It was a key moment to consider Monday, when the Jets finally acquired quarterback Aaron Rodgers from the Green Bay Packers for a package of draft picks. That’s really where the acquisition of Rodgers began — in the days, weeks and months of watching New York’s offense wither without a quarterback who could shoulder the loss of Hall and Vera-Tucker. The mounting frustration left Douglas and team owner Woody Johnson staring at the harsh reality of losing a significant culture-building grasp at the postseason. It was a missed opportunity that left behind nothing less than an all-hands mandate.
One way or another, the Jets were going to find a veteran quarterback who could seize on what many inside the organization believe is a young roster ready to be a prime-time team in 2023. A team stepping out of the crater and toward that window .
Where does this leave Zach Wilson?
That’s what this Rodgers trade represents to the Jets. It’s why they gave up valuable draft compensation on Monday, believing the deal can move them into a significant postseason window while bringing along a fairly young offense that is still likely to add more pieces in the upcoming draft.
Unlike last year’s soup of quarterbacks, Rodgers has the ability to consistently help maximize the skill position players around him and he can help take pressure off an offensive line that badly needs a leader behind center. Not only can Rodgers dictate his looks and protections at the line of scrimmage, he can work with his favored offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett to help maximize parts of the scheme that fit the talent. It’s the kind of thing he did during back-to-back MVP seasons in 2020 and 2021.
That doesn’t mean it’s unfair to ask what Rodgers has left in the tank at 39 years old. Last season was one of his worst, and it’s undeniable that part of it was due to inexperienced wide receivers and a general regression in some of his decision making within a motion offense that he seemed to loathe more by the year. But there is an argument for what the change can do for Rodgers, who seemed exceedingly comfortable in taking gratuities with his time in Green Bay, even when he had grown less comfortable with the team’s front office.
The Jets don’t believe that’s the Rodgers they have traded for. Instead, after spending the past several weeks talking to him, they believe they are getting a mission-oriented quarterback who is going to arrive with an iceberg-sized chip on his shoulder. Not only to show up the Packers, but also to prove that he’s not a fading shadow of the player he was only two seasons ago. If that’s true and the Jets can stay healthy, it should be a team ready to compete inside an AFC East that is less hospitable than ever.
Of course, it’s worth noting that’s not the only play here for the Jets. Douglas sees a long play here, too. It provides breathing room for former No. 2 overall draft pick Zach Wilson, who Douglas still believes can benefit from at least two years of coverage. Plans can always change, but heading into the final stages of the Rodgers negotiation, there was still hope inside the Jets’ front office that Wilson’s complaint could be a part of the broader view of this trade. It’s a scenario where Wilson could ride shotgun and learn from a player who — if an understudy can keep up — has plenty to offer.
While the Jets may never admit it publicly, hindsight has taught them something about Wilson. He wasn’t ready to step in and start as a rookie. There was an adjustment that needed to take place and a larger element of confidence in play than many realized. And if the staff had it to do over again, Wilson wouldn’t have played a snap as a rookie. Instead, he would have taken a redshirt year and been eased into the offense as Douglas and the coaching staff worked to improve the roster he was stepping into. That didn’t happen and there were steep consequences.
Now the Jets have bought Wilson some time for a reboot, if that is indeed what he wants. Ultimately, he’s going to have to come to terms with what’s ahead for him. Rodgers isn’t coming in with any threat. He’s the key that is expected to turn the offense on, and if he’s interested and willing, Wilson will have the patient opportunity to learn without the intensely unforgiving spotlight that comes with the Jets quarterback position.
That’s part of what Monday’s trade offers. A two-year “win now” opportunity for a roster that is ready, combined with a two-year “grow now” opportunity for a young quarterback who wasn’t. It can be the best of both worlds. Now the Jets and their quarterbacks have to make it happen. The window is waiting.