The Aaron Rodgers period lasted simply two years in New York.
When he landed in April 2023, the Jets had goals of returning to the playoffs for the primary time in over a decade.
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In any case, they’d simply acquired a Tremendous Bowl-winning quarterback, who had already been named the NFL’s MVP 4 occasions throughout his storied profession with the Inexperienced Bay Packers.
However regardless of all that hope, Rodgers’ tenure in New York produced little on-field success.
He gained solely six of his 18 begins throughout two years.
In 2024, the workforce struggled to a 5-12 document, whereas head coach Robert Saleh and basic supervisor Joe Douglas — who have been instrumental in luring Rodgers throughout — have been fired in the course of the season because the Jets cleaned home.
The much less mentioned in regards to the earlier 12 months, during which Rodgers suffered an Achilles tendon rupture 4 snaps into his Week 1 debut, the higher.
Come February 2025, lower than two years after he had arrived, the Jets moved on from their veteran and at the moment are targeted on the 2025 Draft.
Subsequent season, will probably be as much as Justin Fields to guide the workforce ahead.
In March, New York signed the previous Pittsburgh Steelers back-up to a two-year, $40million deal.
Fields, 26, turned the most important free agent to land with the Jets to date underneath the brand new duo of rookie head coach Aaron Glenn and basic supervisor Darren Mougey.
And on Monday, three extra huge selections have been confirmed forward of the upcoming season – selections that would have a direct affect on Fields.
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GM Mougey mentioned the workforce will train fifth-year choices on all three of their first-round picks from the 2022 NFL Draft.
Fourth general choose Sauce Gardner, tenth general choose Garrett Wilson and twenty sixth general choose Jermaine Johnson II will all stay with New York at the very least by way of 2026.
Cornerback Gardner, a two-time First-Crew All-Professional who was named the league’s Defensive Rookie of the 12 months in 2022, will get a assured base wage of $20.1m in 2026.
Large receiver Wilson, who has surpassed 1,000 yards in every of his three seasons to date, and was the 2022 Offensive Rookie of the 12 months will obtain a assured $16.8 million.
Regardless of a promising coaching camp, Wilson and Rodgers struggled to get on the identical web page regardless of the 24-year-old racking up a profession excessive 1,104 yards, 101 receptions and 7 touchdowns in 2025.
He’ll hyperlink up with Fields having performed alongside the QB throughout their time at Ohio State.
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Linebacker Johnson, who went to the Professional Bowl in 2023, will get a assured $13.4m.
Given all of their first-round picks from 2022 have been hits, the Jets have paid greater than $50m to ensure the trio, and that may little question be a lift to Fields.
New York will probably attempt to negotiate long-term contract extensions with Gardner, Wilson and Johnson within the close to future, however even with none extra talks, they may all be with the Jets for 2 extra years.
There’s additionally an opportunity the workforce will usher in some quarterback competitors for Fields on this week’s draft.
The most recent mock draft from NFL.com analyst Chad Reuter has the Jets taking offensive sort out Armand Membou at seventh general, earlier than turning to defensive sort out Alfred Collins with their second-round, No. 42 choose.
Reuter believes QB Kyle McCord, out of Syracuse, may very well be heading to New York within the third spherical.
Whereas this 12 months’s draft is not anticipated to be anyplace close to as spectacular as 2022 was for the Jets, there are nonetheless some thrilling choices on the board.
And with the Rodgers experiment within the rearview mirror, there may be hope that exercising the fifth-year choices for 3 stars, along with drafting nicely, will assist Fields and HC Glenn lead the workforce to an improved document subsequent season.
Rodgers, in the meantime, is but to substantiate his subsequent transfer, with at the very least one NFL workforce sweating over his future.