It would be understandable for future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers to have had enough NFL football. His New York Jets have bottomed out.
They are off to a 3-7 start through their first 10 games of 2024 after their biggest blowout defeat of the year, a 31-6 embarrassment against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 10. Their offense registered season lows in both points (six) and total yards (207). Rodgers threw for season-worsts in passing yards (151) and yards per pass attempt (4.3). His 4.3 yards per attempt stands as the third-fewest passing yards per attempt in any game of his 20-season career with a minimum of 15 pass attempts. His favorite target, Davante Adams, caught six of his season-high 13 targets for 31 receiving yards, which amounted to the six-time Pro Bowler’s fewest receiving yards in 44 career games with at least 12 targets. New York’s defense, which was once their biggest strength, surrendered its most yards per play allowed (7.1) and first downs allowed (28) in a game this season.
However, the struggles through the Jets’ first 10 games haven’t impacted his desire to continue playing ball into 2025.
“Not really, not for the negative, no. Not really” Rodgers said Wednesday, via SportsNet New York, when asked if New York’s 3-7 start has altered his thought to play next season.
When asked point blank if still wants to play in 2025, Rodgers had a similar short but direct answer.
“I think so, yeah,” he said.
No player may have a better window into what drives Rodgers than Adams, who has caught more receiving touchdowns (69) from the mercurial quarterback than anyone else ever has. Here’s what is driving Rodgers to keep pushing through for at least another year despite a worst-case scenario start to his 2024.
“He’s achieved a lot, obviously, but I think he’s driven by not being able to win multiple Super Bowls,” Adams said, via ESPN, on Wednesday. “He’s won one, but he’s been in situations where he’s had the opportunity to almost taste it, almost touch it. Not being able to secure a championship at a higher rate is something that has, I won’t say bothers him, but it has motivated him to continue on at this old age.”
Rodgers is in his 20th NFL season, 17th as an NFL starting quarterback, and he turns 41 on Dec. 2. With a Super Bowl MVP trophy, four NFL MVP trophies and the best touchdown to interception ratio of all time (490-112, 4.38), his legacy is secure as an all-time great. He doesn’t need to keep playing, and like his team, Rodgers himself is also struggling mightily. These 10 games are his worst first 10 games to a season ever in terms of losses (seven), his team’s scoring offense (17 points per game), passing yards per attempt, passing yards per game (225.8) and passer rating (86.8).
|
Losses |
7 |
Worst |
|
Team PPG |
17.7 |
Worst |
|
Pass Yards/Attempt |
6.4 |
Worst |
|
Pass YPG |
225.8 |
Worst |
|
TD-INT |
15-7 |
2nd-worst |
|
Passer Rating |
86.8 |
Worst |
|
Expected Points Added/Play |
-0.07 |
Worst |
* Min. two games started
The Jets are surprisingly the last team in the NFL this season that hasn’t scored at least 25 points in a game. A hope that they can cling on to is that they are just two games back of the Denver Broncos (5-5) for the AFC’s seventh and last postseason slot.