Aaron Rodgers Return - Debate

Edition #531

Good morning! ☕

Remember when we were filled with positivity? We had a top-5 defense, we had a HOF QB with two of the game’s most exciting weapons on Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson. That feels like a very long time ago now.

The life of a Jets fan is never easy. I hope those who were alive for the Super Bowl victory enjoyed it because with each passing day my belief that Joe Namath sold his soul and the future of the franchise for that victory increases.

🟢 The Jets officially opened the 21-day practice window on Aaron Rodgers yesterday. Which means they have 21 days to activate him, if they don't he will revert back to IR for the rest of the season. Rodgers has not been cleared for contact but he has been cleared to resume football activities and he'll start throwing to teammates. Saleh confirmed that Rodgers won't be doing anything that risks a re-injury.

⚪ Mekhi Becton is likely to return this week. But Robert Saleh wouldn't confirm if Duane Brown will be good to go. It's becoming very clear that Brown was never really healthy.

🟢 There was confirmation that Allen Lazard will be active this week. Let's see if that one week benching achieved anything.

⚪ Randy Mueller had this to say about the Jets in an article for the Athletic. I don’t tend to post snippets in full, but this was quite interesting considering it’s coming from a former General Manager and NFL Executive of the Year.

The Jets are another franchise with a coach who has changed in style and substance right before our eyes. Robert Saleh was known as a rah-rah guy with motivational exuberance, but he has become a stoic sideline master of no reactions. Suffice it to say, that’s not the guy the Jets thought they were getting. ...

Now lacking in confidence to answer even the simplest of media questions about an overrated roster, an offensive scheme that has been terrible in both design and execution, not to mention unpredictable injuries, Saleh is faced with having to make a difference in something that is not his area of expertise: offense.

... The offense is more than offensive, and by having no backbone to make change, he allows some of his leadership ability to be questioned. It is clearly Aaron Rodgers’ team, and Rodgers is leading this group from afar. In my opinion, Saleh has hidden behind this.

🟢 Garrett Wilson’s cleats for My Cause My Cleats were designed by Newark School of Fashion & Design students He then gave each and every one of them a Microsoft Surface tablet to help with their studies.

⚪ The Jets announced that they’d signed Anthony Brown and let Craig James go. Just like the last time they released Craig James, I actually thought he did a standup job when called upon earlier this season. But the Jets must not see what they want to see in practice.

🟢 Mentioned this earlier in the week, but now the Jets released a superb graphic. The offensive line is a shambles, but Joe Tippmann continues to improve and the fact he’s playing so well with all the upheaval is a testament to his talent.

⚪ Make sure you get those Pro Bowl votes in. I presume that none of us will bother looking at the offensive Pro Bowl voting. I hope DJ Reed gets in this year, but there is plenty of CB talent around the league, I fear he’s probably going to end up missing out.

The whole discourse around Aaron Rodgers's return at first was intriguing, but with each loss, it’s become more and more pointless.

At the start of the process following his surgery in the middle of September, Aaron Rodgers clearly outlined that in order for him to come back this year, the Jets would need to be in with a playoff shout.

A couple of weeks ago a report surfaced which seemed to indicate that Rodgers would consider returning regardless of whether the games meant something, with “guilt” being referenced as the reason.

This week Rodgers seemed to reiterate that the playoffs will be a factor in his decision