Heavy on Jets
It sounds like the end of Aaron Rodgers’ era with the New York Jets might have come sooner than we thought.
“I’m told no decisions have been made yet, but it appears increasingly likely that the four-time MVP, who is banged up, could be placed on injured reserve or possibly benched over the next few weeks, signaling the end of his disastrous time with the Jets,” NFL Insider Dianna Russini of The Athletic said on Saturday, November 23. “Some around the league say they won’t be surprised if Rodgers is cut in-season.”
Jets Could Pull a Page From Their Cross-Town Rival Giants
This week the New York Giants announced that Daniel Jones was being benched. That benching included Jones falling down the depth chart and likely not dressing on gamedays.
Instead of going through the awkwardness over the season’s final stretch, all parties just decided to pull the cord. Big Blue released Jones and got the inevitable over with that he wasn’t going to be with the team next season.
It appears the Jets could be heading toward that same ending.
The Jets have cleaned house by firing Robert Saleh as head coach earlier this season and most recently dumped general manager Joe Douglas during the bye week. Connor Hughes of SNY said Rodgers’ best chance of sticking around in 2025 was based on continuity with the Jets.
The green and white have done the opposite by blowing everything up.
Benching a four-time NFL MVP likely wouldn’t sit well with the locker room. However a fugazi placement on injured reserve you’d be able to sell better from a PR standpoint.
The team pulled a similar move with struggling kicker Greg Zuerlein. He was placed on injured reserve with a mysterious injury that popped up randomly. Instead of cutting him, they took him out of the spotlight to try and see if they could rehabilitate him behind the scenes.
If the Jets bench Rodgers, they might as well cut him, because that would signal the end of his run with the team and maybe the NFL entirely.
In Better Jets News…
Things haven’t gone well for the Jets amid a 3-8 start to the season. However other good things are happening off the field.
Jets punter Thomas Morstead was honored last week with the Lou Gehrig Sports Award. That tip of the cap was for his commitment to the fight against ALS. This season Morstead has led the “Punt for ALS” campaign which was created to support the Team Gleason Foundation and all those who live with ALS.
Morstead committed to donate $1,000 for every punt this season that landed inside the opponent’s 20-yard-line. Through the first 11 games of the season, Morstead has booted 15 punts inside the 20-yard line, according to the press release.
Morstead’s campaign has raised “nearly
The award is doled out annually to athletes “who exemplify the resilience, strength, and leadership that defined Lou Gehrig’s legacy on and off the field.”$24,000 of its $100,000 goal for The Team Gleason Foundation.”
If you’d like to join Morstead in his “Punt for ALS” campaign, you can donate directly here at this link.
“Throughout the rest of the season, donors to Morstead’s “Punt for ALS” campaign will have a chance to win special incentives each game, including game-worn signed jerseys by Morstead himself and/or opposing team players. The donation incentives will be announced prior to each game on Morstead’s Instagram (@thomasmorstead) and reposted by Team Gleason (@teamgleason). In addition to game-day incentives, every Punt for ALS donor will enter a chance to win two tickets to Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans in February,” per the press release.
Paul Esden Jr. covers the New York Jets for Heavy.com. A New York native, he co-hosts Cumulus Media's morning show, "The Manchild Show with Boy Green." Before joining Heavy in 2021, Esden Jr. covered both national and New York sports for FanSided, Elite Sports NY and The Score 1260. More about Paul Esden Jr.