Before getting traded to the Jets, quarterback Aaron Rodgers was leaning toward retirement. He didn’t decide to keep playing without aspirations of reaching Super Bowl glory for the second time in his career, ya know.
Gang Green will embark on their most critical season in quite some time on Monday Night Football. Week 1 brings the Buffalo Bills to town for a primetime showdown at MetLife Stadium. The Jets have the NFL’s hardest early-season schedule over the first six weeks. That makes starting 1-0 even more crucial for head coach Robert Saleh’s club.
It’s vital for all professional athletes to keep a week-to-week and day-by-day mentality during any regular season. After all, it’s a marathon, not a sprint. But then again, this isn’t Rodgers’ first rodeo. While every team gets a clean slate heading into a new year, only a small handful really have a chance at hoisting the Lombardi Trophy in February.
The veteran signal-caller has spent the last few months getting to know his new organization between OTAs, training camp, and preseason. And based on what he’s seen, Rodgers is a believer that the Jets have a real chance to make history:
Aaron Rodgers was asked today why he vocalizes Super Bowl vision with Jets.
“There's a part of that is speaking things into existence, the idea of a manifestation,” Rodgers said. “The other part is a realistic look at the locker room knowing that there's anywhere from 6 to 12…
— Jori Epstein (@JoriEpstein) September 7, 2023
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Here’s the full quote:
“There’s a part of that is speaking things into existence, the idea of a manifestation,” Rodgers said. “The other part is a realistic look at the locker room knowing that there’s anywhere from 6 to 12 teams every year that can probably doit it and we’re one of those 6 to 12.”
As if Jets fans needed another reason to feel like they could run through a brick wall before Monday night, right? Whether they needed it or not, they just got it.
New York is coming off a 7-10 season that included six straight losses to end the year. They’ll be looking to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2010. If the Jets can accomplish that, they’ll look to appear in the franchise’s first Super Bowl since 1969.
You can reach Matt Musico at [email protected]. You can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.