There was tons of hype surrounding the New York Jets this season after they acquired future Hall-of-Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers, not to mention star running back Dalvin Cook, during the offseason.
But that balloon of optimism and excitement was popped just moments into their season opener in North Jersey when Rodgers sustained a torn Achilles, ending his season after he attempted just one pass.
The feeling around the league is that not only is his injury devastating for the Jets, but it’s also devastating for the NFL and football as a whole.
That was the sentiment expressed by analyst Joy Taylor on Tuesday’s episode of “Speak” on FS1.
.@JoyTaylorTalks reaction to Aaron Rodgers tearing his Achilles
“It sucks. It sucks for him obviously, it sucks for Jets fans, it sucks for the Jets organization, it sucks for NFL history.” pic.twitter.com/xLRuy9hF66
— Speak (@SpeakOnFS1) September 12, 2023
Every sport needs marquee or dominant teams, as well as intriguing storylines in order to do well, and that’s what the Jets looked like.
They were a team loaded with stars and studs in the nation’s most populated city and media market, and even better, after decades of ineptitude, it looked like they were Super Bowl contenders, which meant there was also the classic rags-to-riches storyline to attract viewers.
Instead, the Jets are apparently back to being, if not a laughingstock, then at least the recipient of pity.
Yes, they do have one of the NFL’s best defenses and perhaps its best running back duo in Cook and Breece Hall, but replacement quarterback Zach Wilson has been extremely underwhelming since entering the league two years ago.
Fortunately, as a whole, the league is in good hands, but one has to feel bad for the good people of the New York City area who have had to deal with some bad performances from teams such as the New York Yankees, New York Mets, New York Knicks, and Brooklyn Nets in recent times.
