Up for Debate: Does Aaron Rodgers Make Jets a Title Contender?
Analysis 4/24/23
The 2023 NFL offseason's biggest storyline reached a conclusion when the Green Bay Packers and New York Jets finally reached an agreement on a trade for future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
That begs the question of whether Rodgers will be able to propel a Jets team that already had a top defense and some intriguing offensive pieces to the Super Bowl. Keep in mind the Jets have not reached the big game since the 1968 season, and they haven't even been to the playoffs since 2010.
We posed the question of the Jets' upside to a team of experts that includes perspectives from the front office (Joe Banner), sideline (Mike Martz) and quarterback room (Rich Gannon and Paul Burmeister). Their consensus: it depends.
Does Rodgers Make Jets a Contender?
Banner: Jets Won't Win AFC East Title
“They’re just good. I don’t think they’re going to win the division. They may or may not make the playoffs. It's very, very hard for three teams in the division to make the playoffs. The Miami Dolphins are good, it depends on Tua Tagovailoa’s health. The Buffalo Bills are very good and there's still a chance they acquire wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, which makes them even better.
"The trade gives Jets fans, the owner and the general manager hope that they haven't had in a long time. It’ll be fun. It'll be exciting even between now and the start of the season. And they haven't had a lot of fun. It's been very painful to be a Jets fan for a long time.
"It's a short-term solution. And they're in a very, very tough division. The fourth team in the division, the New England Patriots, is one that's really, really smart and has made some changes that make them better. The Jets will likely be better than them, but I think even winning the division is not something I would favor the Jets to do right now.”
Joe Banner is a former front office executive for the Philadelphia Eagles and Cleveland Browns. He was a part of an Eagles franchise that made a Super Bowl and played in four NFC Championship Games. Follow him on Twitter at @JoeBanner13
Gannon: Jets Are Threat to Go Deep in Playoffs
“The Jets are a playoff-caliber team. If you add a player like Aaron Rodgers and you start looking around that division, now the Jets are a real threat, not only to win the division but to go deep in the postseason. We’re talking about a 39-year-old quarterback who is a four-time MVP…
"Aaron can still play at a very high level, so this makes a lot of sense for the Jets. They go from a team being on the cusp of making the playoffs to a team that can really go deep in the playoffs and maybe, maybe even win a Super Bowl. I believe Aaron Rodgers still has a lot left in the tank.”
Rich Gannon played 18 seasons in the NFL and won the league’s Most Valuable Player award in 2002 when he led the Oakland Raiders to Super Bowl XXXVII. Follow him on Twitter at @RichGannon12.
Martz: Rodgers Is a Perfect Fit for Jets
“There’s a familiarity there that’s very important. And now Rodgers doesn’t have to come in and pick up an offense he’s not familiar with because he and offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett were together in Green Bay. That will make it easy.
“It was a glaring hole in the Jets' offense both from a coaching standpoint and a player standpoint that’s been filled with two pieces. It’s a big deal and they could absolutely get to the top of the league next year.
"If I’m a Jet fan, this is going to be the highlight in your life since Joe Namath. I think Rodgers still has that in him. It will rejuvenate him, and get him fired up again. It’s almost too good to be true."
Mike Martz is a former NFL head coach and offensive coordinator, most notably for the St. Louis Rams. He was the OC for the Rams’ "Greatest Show on Turf" offense in 1999 when they won Super Bowl XXXIV. As head coach, he led the Rams to two division titles, and an appearance in Super Bowl XXXVI.
Burmeister: Rodgers Doesn't Make Jets Elite
“If Rodgers’ first Jets season is going to follow suit with Tom Brady’s first in Tampa Bay and Matthew Stafford’s first in Los Angeles, he’ll need to turn those OK playoff performances into a string of terrific ones. It’s a high bar to clear, but it’s the only way the Jets will achieve playoff success.
“Were the Jets a quarterback away from being on the same level as the Kansas City Chiefs, Cincinnati Bengals and Buffalo Bills? No. But getting Rodgers instantly — and convincingly — elevates a competitive team to a playoff team. New York should graduate, with honors, from the AFC’s fledgling class to the brink of its upper class.
“But until we see him do it in Green and White better than he’s recently done it in Green and Gold, I’ll label his Jets highly intriguing contenders, a certain arm's length away from joining the AFC favorites.”
Paul Burmeister, a former starting quarterback at Iowa, is a studio host with NBC Sports and the radio voice of Notre Dame Football. For a decade he worked as a studio host at NFL Network. Follow him on Twitter at @PaulWBurmeister