Aaron Rodgers sets expectation for Jets' 2024 NFL season as 4x MVP eyes Achilles return
Aaron Rodgers is entering the new league year with much confidence.
When the New York Jets traded for the four-time MVP quarterback in the 2023 offseason, it was hailed as a game-changing maneuver that would return the long-moribund franchise to title contention. Instead, he tore his Achilles tendon just four snaps into his debut against the Buffalo Bills, and the team collapsed into another playoff absence without him
On Wednesday, a mostly-recovered Rodgers appeared on Cameron Hanes' Keep Hammering Collective podcast. There, he discussed the Jets' Super Bowl chances, saying:
"I gotta stay healthy, beat back Father Time a few more years. But I like our chances. I like our guys, like our coaching staff. We just got to put it all together. We got a fanbase that is super hungry and desperate for wins. We got a good group of of really talented young guys - rookies of the year from a couple years ago in Garrett Wilson, Sauce Gardner; also, incredible rookies coming off a great second year - Jermaine Johnson and Breece Hall."
However, he also emphasized a couple of roster needs:
"We got to chew off the offensive line a little bit, to add a couple guys there and maybe get another receiver. But I like our chances and you know, I feel like if I'm out there we always got a chance."
Aaron Rodgers wants Jets to retain two key special teams free agents
Offensively, the New York Jets' Aaron Rodgers era has a litany of free agents.
First off, backup quarterbacks Trevor Siemian and Brett Rypien. With Zach Wilson expected to be traded out of the team, general manager Joe Douglas has a need for insurance for his star. Meanwhile, tackles Billy Turner, Duane Brown, and Mekhi Becton, as well as center Connor McGovern, represent a potentially massive loss of pass and run protection.
But there are two players Rodgers wants the Jets to prioritize: kicker Greg Zuerlein and punter Thomas Morstead. In that same interview, he said:
“Thomas Morstead... he had a phenomenal season. He’s in his late 30s but takes care of himself incredibly well. He was just a weapon for us, with hang time, with inside-the-20 punts, inside-the-10 punts. They were game changing plays.
"And then Greg Zuerlein... He’s just a weapon, and he can hit it from anywhere, from 60 [yards]. Every kick is a touchback for us. Those are weapons, so, I’d like to see those guys back, for sure."
Zuerlein made 35 of 38 field goal attempts and all but one of his 16 extra point attempts in 2023-24. Morstead, meanwhile, punted 99 times for 4,831 yards - both league-highs.
The full interview can be seen below: