Aaron Rodgers turned in another unimpressive performance Sunday in the Jets’ 26-21 loss to the Seahawks.
The Jets’ quarterback, who turns 41 on Monday, was on the wrong end of the biggest play of the game: a second-quarter, 95-yard pick 6 to former Jets defensive end Leonard Williams.
For the fifth time this season he had the chance to lead the offense on a game-winning touchdown drive and for the fifth time he failed to get the job done.
And Rodgers, who completed 21-of-31 passes for 185 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception, now has gone 34 straight games without reaching 300 yards, the league’s longest active streak and the only streak longer than 20 games according to ESPN.
Rodgers struggles’ are a big reason the Jets are a shocking 3-9, already assured of a losing season and sure to be eliminated from playoff contention, perhaps as early as next week. Now, suddenly, there’s a bigger question about Rodgers uncertain future with the Jets in 2025.
Will the legendary quarterback get benched before the end of this season?
“Not as of today,” Jets interim coach Jeff Ulbrich said when asked directly if he’s considering a change on quarterback.
Obviously, that opens the door to things changing Monday, or one of the other 34 days between now and the end of the season.
It’s especially notable because Ulbrich has been resistant to make lineup changes and fully supportive of Rodgers, even as recently as Monday when he said Rodgers was “absolutely” the team’s starting quarterback and the team wasn’t considering shutting him with the playoffs likely out of reach.
Sunday he was unwilling to assess Rodgers’ performance.
“I always want to go back and really watch the tape, and I have to watch the tape with [play caller] Todd [Downing]. A lot of times, he’ll give me all the nuance and intricacies within the game plan and footwork and the timing and all that. That will be a better question for [Monday].”
But even more telling than Ulbrich’s answer was Rodgers’ response to multiple questions about him possibly being benched. He didn’t even bristle at the questions, or attempt to brush them off without a non answer.
Does Rodgers think the Jets could make a change at quarterback?
“Yeah, I don’t know,” Rodgers said. “We’ll figure that out when we have those conversations.”
Is this the first time in his career there has been talk of benching him?
“Well, I felt like in ’18 there was a possibility for sure,” Rodgers said, recalling one of only three years from 2008-22 the Packers didn’t make the playoffs with Rodgers healthy enough to play a full season. “In ’05 when I was a backup [and played] we were three-and-a-lot multiple times and didn’t make a change. Didn’t make a change in ’18 either. But, yeah, I’ll have conversations with Brick [Ulbrich] with what he’s thinking.”
Does he want to keep playing?
Rodgers answered with only a nod of his head.
What would Rodgers do if the Jets do decide to bench him?
It’s a hypothetical. I’ll tell you after-the-fact if that happens.
And with that, Rodgers was done talking to reporters. But in his somber postgame media session, Rodgers was asked about his struggles to put up numbers and consistently create success this season.
“Well, there are 11 guys on the field,” Rodgers said. “Sometimes it’s my fault. Definitely multiple times [Sunday]. And then the details aren’t there in some other spots, too.”
Ultimately, the offense scored on two possessions in the first quarter, including an 11-play, 80 yard drive on their second possession of the game and a four-play, 27-yard touchdown drive set up by a Seattle turnover.
They didn’t score again, including on the final drive when Rodgers led them to the Seattle 29 for first-and-10 at the two minute warning, and finished with an incomplete, a completion for no gain, a sack, and game-sealing incompletion on fourth down in which Rodgers threw it to Garrett Wilson, who wasn’t even looking for the ball.
It was eerily similar to the end of the Broncos loss, and the Vikings loss, and the Bills loss, and the Colts loss.
“It’s a lot of things, I would say, combined,” Rodgers said of the final-drive struggles.
Ultimately, all those things have lined up to give the Jets a 3-9 record and opened up the possibility that Rodgers’ time with the Jets and perhaps in the NFL, will end with him watching from the sideline.
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