The New York Jets’ optimism faded away when Aaron Rodgers went down with an ACL rupture in the first game against the Bills. All the pre-season hype and their chances of making it to the Super Bowl vanished into thin air as soon as Zach Wilson was announced as QB1. And making fun of that fact, Peyton Manning took a dig at the franchise at the expense of Taylor Swift when hosting the CFA Awards.
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Taylor Swift performed at the MetLife Stadium on May 26th, 2023, as part of her New Eras tour, completely selling out the arena. Notably, she has also broken the record for attendance, as 217,625 Swifties flooded the 3-night set of concerts, with 72,802 attending the event just on Sunday 28th.
Thank you @taylorswift13 for 3 incredible record-breaking shows & congrats on becoming our #1 best-selling artist. 🏆 Thanks to the 72,802 Swifties here tonight & the 217,625 fans over 3 nights. What a way to celebrate our 100th concert! 💜 ✨ #EastRuthTSTheErasTour pic.twitter.com/StgxzS99sp
— MetLife Stadium (@MetLifeStadium) May 29, 2023
The Jets, on the other hand, have yet again failed to live up to the pre-season expectations. The belief that defensive genius Robert Saleh and the Super Bowl champion, A-Rod, would turn them into a serious contender for the Super Bowl, has now completely faded away as soon as Aaron Rodgers went down with his injury. Zach Wilson hasn’t been able to fill the shoes of the four-time MVP either.
The Jets’ offense has struggled to make an impact throughout the whole season. Thanks to their resilient defense, they are 4-4 this season. Robert Saleh continues to back Zach Wilson, who has only thrown for 1600 yards this season with only 5 touchdown passes.
Peyton Manning Roasts Jets For Lack of Stadium Attendance
It seems Peyton Manning has turned to comedy after retirement. On Nov 9th, while hosting the CMA Awards alongside Luke Bryan, the Sheriff took shots at the Jets and their fans for failing to sell out an arena. He asked his co-host, “Luke, you know the difference between Taylor Swift and the New York Jets?” The singer humorously replied, “Taylor can sell out a stadium?” Manning then responded, “You nailed it!”
The Jets have since replied to Manning’s joke with a tweet that includes a picture of a filled-out arena. The caption reads,
“What are we talking about Peyton”.
what are we talking about Peyton pic.twitter.com/sT4iWkFSmX
— New York Jets (@nyjets) November 9, 2023
This unexpected interaction sparked mixed reactions from football fans. While some were quick to viscously mock the 2021 Hall of Famer, others took jabs at the Green Gang.
Damn maybe Manning should consider selling ad space on that forehead. Could project an IMAX movie on that thing 🤣🤣
— Gang Green DMac (@Ogrelord_dmac) November 9, 2023
This isn’t the first time Manning has mocked the Jets. The Sheriff has previously dissed Zach Wilson when he took the field after Rodgers’ injury. While watching the Jets’ season opener, Manning couldn’t even recall if Wilson was on the roster.
The former NFL star may be onto something by mentioning pop sensation Taylor Swift, given her significant impact on the NFL scene. After her alleged link-up with Chiefs’ TE Travis Kelce, there was a surge in local businesses, particularly in t-shirt sales. In contrast, the Jets continue to face hurdles with Rodgers out for the season. So, it will definitely take a while for them to regain their footing.
