Following Sunday’s 26-21 loss to the Seahawks, Jets interim coach Jeff Ulbrich left the door open for a potential quarterback change after falling to 3-9 on the season.
“Not as of today,” he said when asked about benching Aaron Rodgers.
On Monday, Rodgers’ 41st birthday, Ulbrich emphatically backed Rodgers and said he would start in the Jets’ Week 14 matchup at Miami.
“We have great belief in Aaron, we really do,” Ulbrich said. “We think he gives us the best opportunity to win.
“After assessing yesterday’s game, I thought there were moments in the first half where you saw Aaron Rodgers. I thought there were moments even in the second half, you saw Aaron Rodgers. And then there are moments where he didn’t play to his standard and he would tell you the same.
“We believe he gives us the best opportunity to win, so he’s our quarterback.”
After not being on the injury report for the first time since Week 4, the Jets and Rodgers were optimistic entering the game against the Seahawks. He has dealt with an ankle, a bruised knee, and a hamstring injury most of this season, but Rodgers suffered from the same putrid play that has plagued him and the Jets the entire season.
Rodgers was inconsistent against Seattle after missing throws to Davante Adams and Garrett Wilson on several occasions. On a day that was full of mistakes on both sides and with a second-quarter 21-7 lead, Rodgers’ biggest mistake completely changed the game’s momentum.
Rodgers first missed a wide-open Wilson in the end zone and then preceded to throw a pick-6 to ex-Jet defensive tackle Leonard Williams, who rumbled 92 yards for a touchdown without a Jets defender even getting close to him. It was the longest pick-six by an NFL defensive lineman in NFL history, per ESPN Research.
Rodgers finished the game 21-of-39 for 185 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. Sunday marked the fifth time that Rodgers had a chance to pull out a win on the final possession, and the Jets lost the game. It is another blemish on what has been a canvas of disaster for the Jets, in a season which began with Super Bowl aspirations.
“I think he’s an older guy, “doesn’t want to take big hits like that anymore,” Williams said about Rodgers after the game. “Sometimes, if you feel the guy coming full speed at him, he’s going to chuck it and duck. We had him in a situation where [coach] Mike [Macdonald] called a great call and it paid off.”
Sunday marked the third straight game Rodgers has passed for under 200 passing yards and 35 straight under 300 yards. Ulbrich blamed Rodgers’ injuries for his poor performances.
“The games where he was truly healthy,” Ulbrich said. “If you go back to the second Patriot game and this game, you start to see his mobility come back. Obviously, injury has a lot to do with what his numbers are this season. He has battled through a lot of things regardless of your age. What he has had, it’s something some guys in this league may not play with.
“He’s a tough guy and he feels a high level of accountability to his teammates, which is why he’s out there for us ever week. We believe as he gets healthier and his mobility starts to improve, you are going to see a better version of him.”
That raises the question: If Ulbrich and the Jets organization believed Rodgers’ injuries were holding the team back, why didn’t they sit him down for a few weeks to let him heal? Jets owner Woody Johnson suggested sitting Rodgers following the Jets lost to the Broncos in Week 4, according to sources. However, Johnson was eventually talked out of it, and Rodgers continued to start despite the injuries.
Now, with five games remaining in what is already a lost season, will the Jets eventually shut Rodgers down for the season and go with backup Tyrod Taylor?
No matter what happens from here on out, the Jets will miss the playoffs for the 14th straight year, the longest drought in North American sports. They’ll also have a losing record for the ninth consecutive year. And if the Jets lose another game this season, they will register their 10th double-digit losing season in their last 13, including the previous four (2020-23).
When asked if Rodgers would remain the Jets’ starting quarterback for the season or if his job would be assessed week to week, Ulbrich replied, “No, he’s our quarterback.”
