Jets coach Robert Saleh’s final words about Aaron Rodgers before being sacked
The Jets quarterback suffered what looked like an ankle injury on Sunday but it does little to hide the fact that his numbers of late have been awful.
It would seem that the New York Jets just can’t catch a break or at the very least, the team’s signal caller who once again has suffered an injury. How severe it is, and what comes next for a team that’s not in the best of shape remains to be seen. Either way, this story developed on Tuesday into the head coach being fired.
Aaron Rodgers ankle may not be a problem but his performance is
On Sunday night, NFL fans in England were treated to a contest between the New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings. As part of the now well-established International Series, it was a game that was played at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London and unfortunately for the Jets, ended in a 23-17 defeat at the hands of the still undefeated Vikings. Yet, the worst part is that the team’s starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers was on the receiving end of a heavy hit in the third quarter, such that he could be seen hobbling about the field after.
To be clear, Rodgers was in fact able to finish the game and did say postgame that it was a light sprain, but he also added that he heard noises when he fell to the ground. Concerning, to say the least. It’s with that as the context that questions were understandably asked of Jets head coach Robert Saleh on Monday when he addressed the media. For his part, Saleh laid initial fears to rest by stating outrightly that he believed Rodgers would be OK to play in the team’s Week 6 game against the Buffalo Bills next Monday night.
“He’s dealing with a low ankle but all the preliminary stuff says he should be fine,” said the Jets’ head coach. Now, While that is good news for the Jets and their fans, what’s not good is the team’s record after five games i.e., it now stands at 2-3 following two consecutive losses. It’s at that point that we come to the crux of the matter which is to say, or rather ask, whether Aaron Rodgers still has it. Injury aside, Rodgers was poor on the night. While it’s true that any Brian Flores defense is brutal, the 40-year-old’s performance looked like what you would expect from a 40-year-old’s performance.
On the night Rodgers went 29 of 54 for 244 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions - a QB rating of 54.9% - in the Jets’ loss to the Vikings. He averaged 4.5 yards per attempt and was 6 of 14 for 81 yards with a touchdown and three interceptions on third and fourth down. Collectively, Rodgers Rodgers has just 1,093 passing yards, 6.0 yards per attempt, and a passer rating of 81.6%, and yes that’s the worst through the first five games of his career. So, are Aaron Rodgers’ best years behind him? Though it may be too early to answer that question, it’s becoming harder not to think so.