The New York Jets have tried everything to make Aaron Rodgers comfortable. They have surrounded him with his Packers teammates, and they have also fired head coach Robert Saleh. But none of these moves have borne fruit. The franchise, once again, is en route to a losing season, with the current record at 2-6. And Emmanuel Acho wholeheartedly believes that A-Rod is only adding to the problem.
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The former Eagles linebacker didn’t mince his words while expressing his opinion about Rodgers’ impact on the Jets. He feels that the quarterback is now “playing for his future” in the league, given how he had been performing. In fact, Acho argued that if Rodgers’ losing streak continues, few teams would be interested in acquiring him next season.
“Why would a team want Aaron Rodgers based upon how he’s playing right now?” questioned Acho during his appearance on The Facility. “If Aaron Rodgers loses today, moves to two and seven, loses six games straight. Why would you want him next year?”
Acho, therefore, made a bold take about how Rodgers has essentially “robbed” the Jets of a successful future without even justifying the present. The Jets quarterback, now 40 and soon to be 41, is clearly not performing at his best. He’s also not grooming a future playmaker to take over once he retires.
He had to do it with his former team when the Green Bay Packers drafted Jordan Love in the first round. Now, look at Love. Since Rodgers’ move to the Big Apple, he’s led the Packers to the playoffs once and is on track for another run this season.
Acho said:
“Aaron Rodgers, what he is doing is he’s robbing the future of an organization without paying the present. Robbing the future because you can’t develop a young quarterback, but he’s not even paying the present because he’s not good right here and now.”
While the former linebacker’s words might seem harsh, they’re not without substance. The Jets have been building their roster around the QB, which might leave them stranded in the long run.
A-Rod’s effect on the Jets
A winning season is long overdue for the Jets, and 2023 was supposed to be their comeback. They had a four-time MVP as their QB to ensure that. However, after Rodgers’ season-ending Achilles injury in his debut, that timeline shifted by a year. Fast forward to 2024, and not only is the team performing poorly, but it’s also surrounded by controversy.
Robert Saleh’s firing came as a surprise after the head coach was forced to part ways in the middle of the season. Many still suspect the quarterback’s involvement in the sacking.
While Rodgers has dismissed those rumors, the coaching staff couldn’t be more fragile, with interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich at the helm. It’s also uncertain how long it will take to resolve the head coaching situation. Ulbrich certainly isn’t leading the team well. So, if the Jets looked outside for a head coach—perhaps even someone like Bill Belichick—it would likely take time for him to adjust to the team as well.
A-Rod’s Packers teammate Davante Adams was also traded to the Jets in hopes of recreating their Green Bay glory days. However, what followed was two back-to-back losses with the star receiver scoring seven catches for 84 yards. It’s like the team gave up their third-round conditional pick for nothing.
If the Jets want to start over in 2025, it will indeed be an expensive process. Rolling their dice on the former Packers quarterback certainly didn’t work. At least, not yet.
So far, Rodgers has amassed 1,896 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions this season which doesn’t seem too bad but with the Jets’ 2-6 record, speaks volumes. His next chance of redemption comes on Nov 11 against the Cardinals.
