Chad Johnson recently told Greg Olsen he’s eyeing a future in color commentary—and based on his latest take, he’s already embracing the role. In true hot-take fashion, the Nightcap co-host claimed that Zach Wilson was a better playmaker for the Jets than Aaron Rodgers—a statement bold enough to make ESPN’s Chris Russo proud.
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The latest episode of Nightcap saw Unc and Ocho delve into the recent developments in New York, where the Jets decided to let Aaron Rodgers go after 2 subpar seasons. For Shannon Sharpe, this was a partnership that was doomed from the get-go—and he isn’t alone in this—something Unc picked when he saw Rodgers’ training camp altercation with Garrett Wilson last year.
While many believe that Rodgers clashing with Wilson played a significant role in the Jets’ offensive struggles and unstable locker room, Ocho’s takeaway from the situation was that Wilson never faced those same challenges. In fact, Ocho believes Wilson was a better performer for the team than Rodgers.
His argument was built on two key points: Garrett Wilson winning Offensive Rookie of the Year with Zach Wilson at quarterback, and the fact that Rodgers posted a 6-12 record with the Jets, while Zach recorded a better 13-21 record during his time with the team.
“Zach Wilson was a better quarterback, just FYI—I’m not talking about the old Aaron Rogers, I’m talking about the new Aaron Rodgers,” said the former wide receiver.
Based on these statistics, Ocho’s take does have some merit. But it’s hard to ignore how much nuance they lack. Yes, Wilson boats a better win percentage than A-Rod but purely as a playmaker, the veteran QB was way superior. For context, Zach Wilson scored 23 passing TDs during his 3 year long Jets tenure, 5 less than what Rodgers scored last season.
Where a fair argument that can be made, however, is the Super Bowl-winning QB affecting the Jets’ environment in a negative way. Shannon Sharpe, for instance, was unhappy with Rodgers never taking accountability for missing minicamps or losses.
Nor was Unc ecstatic to see the QB mark his weekly attendance at the Pat McAfee Show—something that’s rumored to have pissed off the Jets management as well. In Unc’s view, Rodgers’ reported hand in firing Robert Saleh and the host of other decisions from last season were self-centered and set the team back by a few years.
“Look, I don’t think he did him any favors in that building with his attitude to miss mini-camps, to pretend like it was nothing, or him continuously going on the Pat McAfee Show… But at the end of the day, he made a decision that he felt was in his best interest, and that’s what he did. So the Jets have no choice but to do what’s in the best interest of them, and they didn’t feel bringing him back was going to change anything.”
Aaron Rodgers “You zigged when you were supposed to zag again. ”
Garret Wilson “And again, you were supposed to show up at mini camp so we could practice this, but you chose Egypt.”
— Big E (@ian693) July 30, 2024
All that said, Chad Johnson’s bold claim that Zach Wilson is a better playmaker than Aaron Rodgers highlights the shambolic playmaking standards that the Jets have set for themselves in the past few seasons. Regardless, Woody Johnson has taken a step in the right direction by choosing to enter the market for a QB.
Now, only time will tell if the Jets capitalize on this opportunity, as their recent track record has been alarmingly poor.
