Antwan Staley: The heat is on for the Jets. Are they ready for all that pressure?
NY Daily News·Mike Stobe/Getty Images North America/TNS
Antwan Staley, New York Daily News
5 min read
NEW YORK — After all the talk and buildup for the 2023 season, it’s time for the Jets and Aaron Rodgers to live up to all the hype.
No matter what television or radio show fans tune into, one team is constantly being discussed: the New York Jets.
ESPN and other networks could talk about any one of the 31 other teams, but the Jets have been the media darlings throughout the offseason and preseason. Not to mention, HBO’s ‘Hard Knocks’ has detailed every move the Jets have made during the preseason.
While that might be exciting for Gang Green fans nationwide, it has firmly placed a target on the team’s back. The Jets got a taste of what that target could look like during their preseason finale after Giants linebacker Jihad Ward pushed Rodgers after he completed a pass as the two exchanged words.
“We’ve had a lot of attention — before we did ‘Hard Knocks,’ ” Rodgers said. “Then we did ‘Hard Knocks,’ so there’s some jealousy, for sure. There’s a lot of people either jumping on the bandwagon or jumping [off] the other side.”
After the acquisition of Rodgers, the Jets instantly became Super Bowl contenders. While trying to trade for Rodgers, the Jets added wide receivers Allen Lazard and Mecole Hardman to go alongside Garrett Wilson.
Last month, the Jets also made a huge splash after signing running back Dalvin Cook to a one-year deal that could be worth up to $8.6 million.
Following a season in which they finished 7-10 and lost six straight games to end the year, the heat is squarely on the Jets to win in 2023. Jets coach Robert Saleh said last year he was taking receipts on all the people who mock the Jets. If they fall flat on their face, many will mock the Jets much like pundits did when the 2011 Eagles went 8-8 after Vince Young said the roster was a “dream team.”
Last year, Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas had the team slightly ahead of schedule as they were in contention for a playoff spot until Week 17. That’s when the Jets were eliminated following a loss to the Seahawks. Now, this same franchise has its sights set on reaching the Super Bowl for the first time since Lyndon B. Johnson [1968] was the President of the United States.
Since he was hired in 2021, Saleh and Douglas have improved a roster that was the worst in the league. Experts will say Saleh and Douglas whiffed after selecting Zach Wilson with the No. 2 overall pick in 2021, but they’ve managed to build a quality team despite the misstep.
Alijah Vera-Tucker, Jamien Sherwood and Michael Carter II will all be starters this season. Saleh and Douglas followed that draft up with a golden class after selecting both the NFL Offensive and Defensive Rookies of the year in Garrett Wilson and Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner. That doesn’t even include Jermaine Johnson and Breece Hall, who were both selected in the 2022 draft, as both will be significant contributors on the Jets roster this year.
“The good thing is we have a good balance of veterans who have been through the fire,” Saleh said. “In the locker room, there’s guys talking to veterans and there’s coaches on this staff who have been through the fire.
“It’s handling expectation and all of that. When you get to this level, your whole life is about handling expectations. These kids, a guy like Garrett Wilson, who has been the star receiver his whole life, or Sauce, who has been the star corner at Cincinnati and being a top-10 pick, they live in expectations.
“What’s cool about this group is they’re able to focus on the moment and they’re so intrinsically motivated that I don’t think outside noise really bothers them because they’re trying to be the best they can. They don’t feel like they’ve proven anything, they’re just trying to prove something every day.”
The Jets have been one of the more tortured organizations in all of sports. During their existence [1960], the Jets have won four division titles and haven’t won a Super Bowl since the merger in 1970 when the AFL’s teams were absorbed into the NFL.
How do you brush off all those tormented years? By finally winning a Super Bowl and being a contender in a loaded AFC with Kansas City and Cincinnati, the two favorites. Rodgers, Douglas and Saleh have Jets fans believing this is finally their chance to rewrite history.
Rodgers also has something to prove during his time with the Jets as he wants to be placed among the pantheon of Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Joe Montana as the best quarterbacks ever to lace them up. Many would say Rodgers is already there, as he is as accomplished as anyone after winning a Super Bowl and four NFL MVPs. However, that second championship continues to elude him.
Since winning Super Bowl XLV during the 2010 season, Rodgers has a 7-9 playoff record. Also, during that span, Rodgers went to the conference championship four times, but the Packers were beaten by the Seahawks, Falcons, 49ers and Buccaneers.
Players are rarely legendary synonymous with two different teams. Rodgers has a chance to do that with the Jets. If Gang Green even sniffs a Super Bowl with Rodgers under center, the franchise should build a statue of him at MetLife Stadium. If he wins a championship, Rodgers would be the biggest player in the Big Apple since Derek Jeter.
The Jets haven’t been to the playoffs since 2010, which is the longest drought among the four professional sports. But Rodgers believes the Jets have as good of a chance as anyone to win a championship.
There was a time when Rodgers said he was 90% retired before going on his darkness retreat in February. Now, not only could Rodgers win a Super Bowl with the Jets, but he said he could play multiple seasons with the team.
“I believe that we have a legitimate chance to do it,” Rodgers said. “I’m really impressed by the leadership I’ve seen over the last few months.”
