When the Green Bay Packers traded Aaron Rodgers to the New York Jets, many fans and analysts immediately named the lowly New Jersey-based team as Super Bowl contenders. The belief was/is that a future Hall of Fame quarterback was the missing piece that the team needed to get over the hump to contention.
The Jets defense is stout and the offense has a plethora of young talent, namely 2023 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Garrett Wilson. However, not everyone around the NFL is convinced that New York will be competitive in 2023. Matt Lombardo of Heavy.com interviewed an anonymous NFC scout who believes the opposite.
NFL Scout Does Not Believe Aaron Rodgers Can Save the New York Jets
In his article, Lombardo sites several NFL coaches, executives, and scouts who had great things to say about the Jets and their chances in 2023. However, one NFC scout stood out in his belief that, like the Lions are always going to Lion, the Jets are always going to Jet:
“You have to remember, it’s still the Jets,” an NFC scout bluntly said. “They’re going to suck. George Young used to say, ‘The f****** Jets always win the offseason, but when it comes to playing, they’ll always just be the f****** Jets.’”
George Young was a long-time NFL coach and executive. He is best remembered for his 19-year tenure as the general manager of the New York Giants.
The anonymous NFC scout is not the only one, though, that believes the Jets will struggle this season. Last week, former Green Bay Packers wide receiver Greg Jennings angered Jets fans when he said that, due to the difficult strength of schedule early in the season, they could start the year 1-5.
Former Packers defensive tackle Gilbert Brown went a step further and said that if the Jets offensive line isn’t improved from 2022, they could go 0-6 going into their bye week.
Will Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets Be Successful in 2023?
The similarities between Rodgers and Brett Favre have become eerie at this point. In 2007, the year before Favre was traded to New York, the Jets went 4-12. Many felt a better quarterback would return them to playoff contention, and Favre did bring a level of improvement.
In 2008, Favre and the Jets finished 9-7 and missed the playoffs.
Last season, the Jets went 7-10. They play in what is arguably the NFL’s toughest division and have a highly suspect offensive line. If Rodgers is going to help them improve that record, it will be a tall task. He himself is coming off of a down year that saw him play well below the standards he has for himself.
Of course, there is a chance that actually participating in offseason activities with his new teammates will improve his play. He also will not be playing with a broken thumb on his throwing hand.
The fact of the matter is that there are just as many reasons why the Jets will be good in 2023 as there reasons they won’t be. The approach for predicting New York’s record should be the same as it is for the Packers: we will have to wait and see.
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