Aaron Rodgers turned back the clock the past few weeks — and reignited talk about whether the New York Jets quarterback has another quality season left in him.
Or maybe even more.
The 41-year-old Rodgers scrambled like a youngster and tossed the ball around the field to Davante Adams as if it were the old days in a 32-25 victory Sunday at Jacksonville.
In his last two games, Rodgers is 43 of 69 — a 62% completion rate — for 628 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions.
“I think there’s some absolute truth to the fact that he struggled with injuries for a good part of the season,” interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich said Monday. “And as he’s starting to get healthier, you’re starting to see Aaron Rodgers. The real Aaron Rodgers.”
That’s more like the quarterback the Jets and their fans expected when Rodgers was acquired from Green Bay in April 2023. A torn Achilles tendon sabotaged his debut just four snaps in. A series of injuries to his hamstring, ankle and knee early this season clearly affected his mobility and ability to make the type of plays he has been so accustomed to making.
Rodgers even ran for 45 yards, the seventh-highest total of his 20-year career, on six carries in the win over the Jaguars.
“I didn’t think he had it in him,” left guard John Simpson said while laughing. “But he’s getting out there moving again. Man, he’s having fun with it.”
There have been debates on sports talk radio and TV about whether Rodgers is done and everyone is watching the demise of one of the NFL’s greatest quarterbacks.
Rodgers is saying — with his legs and right arm — not so fast.
“After seeing him run around the past couple of weeks and getting his mobility back and getting his health back,” Ulbrich said, “every part of me is like: ‘This guy has got a couple of more years, at the very least, left in him.’”
The big questions are:
Does Rodgers want to continue playing? (He said he’s undecided).
Do the Jets want him beyond this season? (That remains to be seen with New York searching for a new general manager and coach).
There are contract issues to consider, too. Rodgers is signed through next season with a $2.5 million non-guaranteed base salary and would be due a $35 million option bonus. He would also count $23.5 million against the salary cap. But if he’s cut or retires, the Jets could absorb a $49 million dead money charge.
Rodgers is certainly giving the franchise, which is 4-10 and has the NFL’s longest active playoff drought at 14 seasons, plenty to think about. And for a few weeks, at least, he has provided a glimpse of what could’ve been — and what might be moving forward.
“Too little, too late, but it’s still special,” Rodgers said of the win Sunday. “This was a year of things that we were close, but we kind of let it get away from us in the middle of the season.”
What’s working
The offensive line. Rodgers was highly complimentary of the five guys up front — Simpson, left tackle Olu Fashanu, center Joe Tippmann, right guard Alijah Vera-Tucker and right tackle Morgan Moses — after he went 16 of 30 for 289 yards and three touchdowns. He was also sacked just once and rarely faced heavy pressure.
“The offensive line had an outstanding game and I had all day to throw,” Rodgers said. “Big shout out to the big boys.”
What needs help
Clock management. The defense bailed out Ulbrich, who elected to be aggressive and have the offense score the go-ahead touchdown with 1:05 left rather than chew up more clock and force Jacksonville to use its timeouts. But Mac Jones got the Jaguars into Jets territory against a banged-up and shaky defense before Sauce Gardner got his first interception in two years to seal it.
“The way the game finished this Sunday is what we’ve been missing,” linebacker Jamien Sherwood said of the defense.
Stock up
Adams. The veteran wide receiver had been solid but unspectacular since being acquired from Las Vegas in October. But Adams was nearly unstoppable in the second half, when he caught nine passes for 198 yards and two touchdowns from Rodgers. That came after he had two drops in the first half.
Stock down
WR Allen Lazard. He had no catches and two drops, including one that would’ve been a 30-yard touchdown, on four targets. In two games since returning from a chest injury that sidelined him for five games, Lazard has only an 18-yard reception in limited chances.
Injuries
Ulbrich said DT Quinnen Williams is being evaluated for a hamstring injury. “It’s a position where sometimes hamstrings, you can play with,” Ulbrich said. “But we’ll see. We will not put Quinnen in harm’s way at all and we’ll do right by him.” … S Jalen Mills (collarbone) and CB Michael Carter II (lower back) were also being checked out. … CB D.J. Reed is dealing with a groin injury that sidelined him Sunday.
Key number
135 — That’s how many yards receiving Adams had in the final four minutes Sunday, the most by any player in a game over that stretch of time this century, according to ESPN Research.
What’s next
The Jets will host Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams (8-6) while looking to win consecutive games for just the second time this season.
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