The struggling New York Jets may be getting a boost on Sunday, and it's not from Taylor Swift.
According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, Aaron Rodgers is back with the team after being cleared by his doctors to travel to the East Coast. Schultz reported that Rodgers was at the Jets facility in Florham Park, New Jersey, on Saturday night in advance of the team hosting the Kansas City Chiefs on "Sunday Night Football."
Rodgers attended the team meeting and spoke to his teammates after missing the past two weeks of action following surgery to repair a torn Achilles'. The future Hall of Fame quarterback sustained the injury in his debut for Gang Green after being acquired from the Green Bay Packers in the offseason.
“That would be awesome, as good of a football mind as he is, to have him around the team,” wide receiver Garrett Wilson said Friday when asked about Rodgers coming back. “For someone like me, to be able to bounce my thoughts off of, see what he’s thinking.
“To have him around, the aura, the energy he comes with, it’s priceless. As soon as we can get him back, his presence will be felt. I hope it is this weekend.”
Expectations were high for the Jets in 2023 with the addition of Rodgers but the team has struggled since he went down in Week 1. Despite a comeback overtime win against the Buffalo Bills in the lid-lifter on "Monday Night Football," the Jets have been outscored by a combined 45-20 in two straight losses.
Zach Wilson was slated to be the backup and understudy to the four-time Associated Press MVP this season. Instead, Wilson has been thrust into the QB1 spot and is putting up the worst numbers of his career with just a 52.4 completion percentage, two touchdowns, four interceptions and a 27.1 quarterback rating through three games.
His struggles forced New York to finally sign veteran quarterback Trevor Siemian on Tuesday. It comes after Wilson was lambasted by insiders, fans and legends of the game for weeks, including Jets Hall of Fame QB Joe Namath who went off about Wilson's play on ESPN New York's "The Michael Kay Show" this week.
"I’ve seen enough of Zach Wilson. I’ve seen enough. He has quick feet, he can throw a little bit, but I don’t believe what’s going on up there,” Namath said, pointing at his head before adding, “I don’t believe in him, I don’t believe he has a future as a good player, and I think they made the wrong choice when they drafted him, I feel that way."
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Getty Images)The return of Rodgers to the sideline should be beneficial to the 24-year-old Wilson. During preseason play, in which the 2021 No. 2 pick got the majority of reps, Rodgers had a headset on and would speak to Wilson throughout the game.
A calming voice, as seen in "Hard Knocks," Rodgers' mentorship of the young quarterback can continue — albeit the team does face the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs on Sunday night. Rodgers' availability on the sideline is still to be determined as he only underwent surgery a little over two weeks ago and was just seen using crutches and wearing a walking boot on Thursday.
During his weekly appearance on ESPN's “Pat McAfee Show,” Rodgers hinted at the possibility of his return to the Jets soon. “You never know who you’re going to see at the game,” he said. Now we know the "who" he mentioned wasn't Travis Kelce's rumored superstar girlfriend Taylor Swift.
