Aaron Rodgers Claims To Have Had ‘Best Two Years’ Of His Life With Jets

After a horrendous season with the New York Jets, Aaron Rodgers seems to be coming to terms with a potential end. Not only could a Week 18 game against the Dolphins mark the end of his tenure in New York, but it could also be the final game of his NFL career.

“I’m just more resigned to the reality of the situation,” Rodgers told reporters Wednesday. “I think there’s gonna be change here, and if I’m a part of the change, then I just want to make sure everybody knows that I have nothing but gratitude for my time here…. If I wanna play and they don’t want me here, then I’ll see if there’s other options.”

Rodgers went on to call his time with the Jets “the best two years” of his life, an unexpected comment from the four-time MVP and Super Bowl winner. His tenure with the Jets has been marred by injury and countless frustrating losses, which seems to suggest that the comment is either facetious or related to events off the field.

When the former Packers quarterback first arrived in East Rutherford, he brought the idea that the Jets could secure a quarterback talent by importing one. The team has tried this before, most notably with Brett Favre in 2008,  but the idea felt sound this time. With one of the most talented young cores in the league, it felt like the Jets were a quarterback away. 

The 2023 season was a devastating blow, one in which the promise of Rodgers went up in smoke on the first drive of the season. But losing him immediately preserved his potential; 2024 was supposed to be the year the pieces came together. Sure enough, Rodgers played a full season, and on paper, put up passable statistics for an NFL quarterback. The reality was worse than losing him to injury, however.

In a season in which the Jets went 4-12, a systematic failure by every measure, they lost nine games by 10 points or less. Nearly every time, Rodgers had opportunities late in those games to make a difference, the ultimate marker of a great quarterback. Delivering in those moments could have meant a playoff run. Instead, he performed so poorly that the team is in line for a top-10 draft pick. Maybe it’s a blessing in disguise.

The team did everything it could. Owner Woody Johnson fired head coach Robert Saleh and then Joe Douglas. The organization brought in an army of former Packers talent, up to and including star wide receiver Davante Adams. He replaced Mike Williams, who was traded after Rodgers spoke badly of him to the media. At the end of the day, none of it mattered. It all came down to Rodgers, and he failed.

Now, star wide receiver Garrett Wilson is appearing in trade rumors. Running back Breece Hall is considered a wasted talent instead of a surefire Pro-Bowler. Lockdown cornerback Sauce Gardner is talking trash about his own team on Instagram. The Jets have come crashing back down to their longtime reputation as one of the most dysfunctional franchises in sports. The only difference now is that there’s a common denominator. At least it was a good two years for him.