Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports
All eyes will be on the New York Jets to deliver with their ameliorated roster in the 2024 NFL season. Jets superstar quarterback Aaron Rodgers is liking every bit of the pressure he and his teammates are facing in a year they’re projected to contend for a Super Bowl in.
Per Eric Edholm of NFL.com, Rodgers had this to say about what’s at stake in 2024 and how he’ll go about tackling the high expectations for the upcoming campaign:
“Well, I think if I don’t do what I’m capable of doing, then we’re all probably gonna be out of here (next season),” Rodgers said. “I like that kind of pressure, though. I know it’s a tough market to play in; it’s not for everybody. Relish that opportunity. That’s the way the NFL is. … As you get older in the league, if you do not perform, they’re going to get rid of you or bring in the next guy to take over. It happened in Green Bay, and I’m a few years older than I was back then. I expect to play at a high level, I expect us to be productive and competitive, and all that stuff to take care of itself.”
Rodgers has one more year left on the two-year, $75 million deal he signed with the Jets ahead of the 2023 campaign. Him expounding on the tenuous nature of his status with the team is more predicated on performance than contract length, though. The same goes for his troops.
The Jets are bringing back the third-ranked defense from a year ago. They’re also going to run out onto the field in Week 1 with two 1,000-yard-caliber wide receivers Garrett Wilson and Mike Williams, a stacked backfield led by Breece Hall and one of the best prospects at left tackle in recent memory in Olu Fashanu to protect Rodgers under center.
Some analysts have the Jets winning as many as 14 games next year. A record of that sort will require excellence, even with Rodgers approaching his age-40 season. The Jets entered 2023 fielding the oldest team in the NFL last year, with an average age of 27 years, four months, and two days old. Thus, it won’t just be Rodgers looked at with a close eye, but also other veteran stars like offensive tackle Tyron Smith (33) and linebacker C.J. Mosley (31).
Thankfully for them, New York has a balance of young and old standout contributors, so all of them will have the mounting pressure on their shoulders. But as a four-time league MVP, Rodgers is well aware that the lion share of the blame will fall on him if the Jets disappoint.
This post was published on 2024-05-22 13:22
