In 2023, Jets fans geared up to see plenty of Aaron Rodgers on the field, eagerly hoping to watch the veteran quarterback juke his way out of pressure and toss bombs to Garrett Wilson week after week. Despite Rodgers' season-ending injury, he might still be out there on the turf -- just coaching from the sidelines.
In the first four snaps of Week 1's win over the Buffalo Bills, Aaron Rodgers suffered a torn Achilles in what could be considered a freak incident. The Jets went on to win the game in an overtime thriller, yet the pain of losing Rodgers in what was supposed to be a Super Bowl-contending year stung.
As Jets fans now grumble about former No. 2 overall pick Zach Wilson taking snaps as QB1, they may have a few things to look forward to. One, an elite defense. And two, Coach Aaron Rodgers.
Rodgers told his buddy Pat McAfee on Friday that he doesn't expect to be sidelined for that long. "Hopefully, I can get a headset in whatever box I'm in and throw some plays in there."
Aaron Rodgers returns... as a Jets playcaller?
Rodgers first toyed with the idea of potentially helping the Jets call plays back in preseason. In his preseason debut against the Giants, Rodgers played two series before exiting the game for precautionary reasons.
Even though his night was over, the ex-Packers quarterback could be spotted at times wearing a headset on the sidelines and motivating his teammates. Rodgers even reportedly called the play in which Zach Wilson threw a 57-yard pass to Malik Taylor to sustain a key offensive drive.
Wilson had famously said last offseason that if the Jets signed a quarterback, he would make that quarterback's life "hell." Well, it's Rodgers' turn to hold the whip, now.
After Rodgers' Week 1 injury, Jets head coach Robert Saleh hinted at the possibility of Rodgers serving in a playcalling role: "Shoot, if he wants a headset, he can have one."
Given that Rodgers just underwent surgery this past week, he's going to need several weeks to rest and recover before he can rejoin the team. New York already has one offensive play-caller in Nathaniel Hackett; however, with Zach Wilson under center, the team can use all the help it can get.