It had to be asked.
By now, we know that Aaron Rodgers plans on returning to play in 2024. He’s already back to practice just 11 weeks after undergoing surgery on his torn Achilles, which included a “speed bridge” procedure, to help expedite the healing process.
He’s nowhere near 100 percent, even though the 39-year-old quarterback claimed during a session with reporters on Thursday that “in my opinion, there’s not a downside to coming back and reinjuring it” because he’d seemingly have enough time to rehab it and return 5-6 months anyway.
What’s the worst that could happen?
The New York Jets have seen the worst that could happen. An offense — led by Zach Wilson and Tim Boyle — that can’t score touchdowns is at the risk of wasting a Super Bowl-caliber defense. The top offenses in the NFL, according to ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky, have plenty of three factors:
The Jets have none of that.
And yet, offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, who has seen his unit score just 7 touchdowns through 11 games, is not at risk of losing his job. It would be surprising if he did. There are no repercussions for having the league’s worst offense and there’s been no consideration of even removing Hackett from his role of offensive coordinator.
That’s because of Aaron Rodgers.
As he tries to defy science, Rodgers was asked the question; the one we alluded to above. Is his comeback next year contingent on the trio of head coach Robert Saleh, general manager Joe Douglas, and Hackett returning?
Rodgers sidestepped giving any direct answers, referring to it as a “trap question.”
Despite pushing the limits on what’s socially acceptable to discuss, including his love of conspiracy theories, Rodgers isn’t dumb. No, he got his way and brought his buddies (Hackett, Randall Cobb, Allen Lazard, Tim Boyle and Billy Turner) with him to Florham Park, New Jersey.
So, perhaps Rodgers will only continue to get his way. And what that looks like is Saleh, Douglas and Hackett returning in their same roles, whether deserving or not.
Douglas owns a 24-53 record as an executive, while Saleh is just 15-30 as a head coach.
They will be back in 2024 because Rodgers will be back in 2024.
It wasn’t a trap question. We all know the answer, even Rodgers he maintained that the Jets have the “recipe for success” with this current group. He added that Douglas does a great job and that Saleh and Hackett are “fantastic,” but all of that is out of his control.
I think we can all agree that just isn’t true. Most of this is in his control. And that’s why the question he was presented on Thursday wasn’t some “gotcha” question. He knew the answer, and so did everyone else.
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.