The New York Jets will bank on quarterback Aaron Rodgers looking the part in 2024. Will he be able to hold up for a playoff run? Colin Cowherd isn’t so sure.
The New York Jets – and their quarterback, Aaron Rodgers – are no strangers to media criticism. They’ve earned their cynicism in different ways, the team through prolonged disasters at every level of the operation and the player through virtually everything off the field, distracting from his legacy left on it.
In a week where a false story threw New York back into the football world’s spotlight and Rodgers was officially crossed off the list for Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s running mate, it seems time cannot move forward without a story regarding either party.
The Jets have done a good job of quieting concerns this offseason, fixing the offensive line and adding veteran receiver Mike Williams in the opening weeks of free agency. They’ve done so sustainably and in a way that balances their win-now window with the responsibilities of the years after Rodgers’ retirement.
Dec 24, 2023; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh (left) talks
Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
However, those moves didn’t stop Colin Cowherd from putting Rodgers on blast, calling into question his work ethic and just how focused he is on bringing a title to New York.
“Aaron isn’t quite as committed as some of the young guys that are really bigger, stronger,” Cowherd said. “And I think the only way to be good is sort of to be focused like Kirk Cousins later or obsessed like Brady. I don’t think there’s a way to be (great) casually.
“And I’ve heard this from multiple people. Aaron, he’s not gonna sit and watch game film all weekend – that’s not what he’s going to do as a personality. He’s going to read some things and listen to music and do his own thing. He is not Brady on the film, he’s not Peyton, he’s not Brees as a workaholic.”
Rodgers will forever be tied to the passers of his generation – many of which, if not all, he bested as a physical talent. That talent has not equated to a second Super Bowl victory.
That doesn’t mean his increasingly weird personality is entirely to blame. Dan Marino didn’t win a Super Bowl and Eli Manning won two – it’s a complicated, if not cruel, sport. But Peyton Manning won his second ring riding the coattails of an elite defense. Rodgers, to an extent, will attempt a similar feat.
Cowherd isn’t sure the future Hall of Famer has done enough to give himself the best chance at that rarified air. On the wrong side of 40 years old and coming off an Achilles tear, his performance in 2024 is still a wild card, regardless of whether the Jets acknowledge it.
Cowherd also backed the Jets’ under of 9.5 wins and claimed they wouldn’t make the playoffs. Rodgers’ presence seems to be a big part of that.
“Aaron is one of those guys, it’s almost like a rockstar. The Bonos and the bands, Edges, that have survived didn’t have long periods of drug use,” Cowherd said. “They took care of their bodies. They partied, but they have aged very well. The bands that didn’t, haven’t. I think Aaron didn’t quite take the same level of care, and I think he’s aging faster than other guys.”
In fairness to Rodgers, lasting this long is an achievement in himself, and he’s just two seasons removed from back-to-back MVP campaigns. It may be unrealistic for the New York faithful to expect elite play under center, but the additions around Rodgers have worked to take the weight off his shoulders.
Rather than carrying the offense, an improved offensive line and elite defense should make him go along for the ride. How Rodgers holds up over the marathon of an NFL season, even in a less burdensome role, will still dictate how long the Jets’ season lasts.
