The New York Jets last won the Super Bowl in 1969. Since then, the fanbase has been starving for a sniff of silverware. However, with Aaron Rodgers at the helm, Jets fans have begun dreaming again. The spirits are at an all-time high in New York and A-Rod wants it even higher by asking bandwagon fans in London to support an underdog team like the Jets.
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While normally teams hate bandwagon fans, Aaron Rodgers surprised everyone by extending an olive branch toward them. Addressing his match against the unbeaten Vikings in London this weekend, A-Rod noted that Jets fans have suffered for the last 55 years with no Super Bowl.
“You have to understand the Jets fans in America and what they’ve gone through the last 55 years of having not one Super Bowl. So I think sports fans in general can get behind an underdog or a team that you know hasn’t had the success they’ve wanted to in a while.”
Aaron Rodgers wants London fans to cheer for the Jets this Sunday.
(: @nyjets)pic.twitter.com/FePwGBkE0S
— theScore (@theScore) October 4, 2024
The QB thus asked casual fans, who will turn up in London this weekend to consider the Jets as an underdog team and thus support him and the boys. The former Packers QB asked fans in London to consider the plight of Jets fans before choosing the team to support this weekend.
“So I welcome any and all bandwagon fans to jump on the train of the New York Jets and try and bring some positivity to our fans who’ve dealt with a lot.”
While rival fans might make a meal out of this sympathy card, it has to be noted that the Jets are one of the most passionate and patient institutions in the NFL.
A testament to this claim was recently given by Sam Darnold who didn’t diss the Jets for his failure in New York.
Sam Darnold admits that the Jets didn’t fail him
While Sam Darnold doesn’t command the stature of an elite QB in the NFL today, his early days in the league were starkly different. After a stellar season at USC, the Jets placed immense faith in Darnold and picked the QB third overall.
Unfortunately for Sam, he couldn’t justify the high expectations that the Jets fanbase had of him. His three seasons in New York were mediocre at best with not even a single 20 TD season. Darnold was eventually traded to the Panthers in his final season under his rookie contract and has been a journeyman ever since.
Luckily for the QB, he seems to have found his mojo with the Vikings, who are 4-0 this season. As he prepares to face his old flame this weekend, reporters asked if he has any gripe with his former team. However, in response, Darnold revealed that he has no issues with the Jets because he couldn’t give his best despite the ideal conditions set by them.
“Na, I think I had a lot of opportunities in New York, & I always felt like I could’ve played better there,” candidly admitted the Vikings star.
That said, seeing how he fares off against his former side will be interesting.
