The Corridor of Fame quarterback is in place, added to a Jets roster already stocked with dynamic younger offensive expertise and a protection that ranked within the NFL’s top-five final season.
And, as of the ballyhooed NFL rollout Thursday night time, the 2023 schedule is about.
Now comes the strain
The Jets, who haven’t been to the playoffs in 13 years and have led the NFL in low expectations, now have a few of the highest expectations within the league. With that comes immense strain. Having traded for Aaron Rodgers, they now need to not solely get to the playoffs, however they should go deep into the postseason.
As a result of nobody is aware of what number of years the 39-year-old, four-time MVP has left in him, and that probably consists of Rodgers himself.
The day after the Jets carried out their introductory press convention to current Rodgers to his new adoring public, I texted a high-ranking staff official and steered that if Rodgers is half nearly as good on the sphere as he was in so masterfully dealing with his press convention, it’s going to be a hell of a yr for the Jets.
“Prayers up,’’ was the response.
A few days later, I used to be requested by Sirius XM Radio host Charlie Weis, a former NFL and school soccer coach who was as soon as a Jets assistant, what the vibe was like contained in the constructing since Rodgers was acquired from the Packers.
After I theorized that the strain to win has now been ratcheted as much as a degree no Jets staff has ever confronted, Weis scoffed on the notion, insisting that head coach Robert Saleh wasn’t dealing with any added strain.
“Bulls–t,’’ was the response after I relayed that to Eric Mangini, who was the Jets’ head coach from 2006-08.
“This has modified every thing,’’ Mangini informed The Submit. “Whenever you’re paying somebody $100 million who’s a season faraway from being the back-to-back offensive MVP, yeah, that is win or another person goes to be calling the photographs. I don’t even assume it’s debatable.’’
Mangini, now an NFL analyst for FS1, has lived this. He starred on this manufacturing, had top-billing on this film.
In 2008, Jets proprietor Woody Johnson, about to open a brand new stadium with PSLs and tickets to promote, basically pressured Brett Favre, acquired from the Packers, upon Mangini, who had made the playoffs two seasons earlier with a wholesome Chad Pennington at quarterback.
Mangini was fired after the Jets completed 9-7 that season when an 8-3 begin was sabotaged after Favre suffered a torn biceps tendon in his proper shoulder and continued to play with it.
Take into account: The staff proprietor hasn’t modified. Mangini went 10-6 his first yr and, after a 4-12 marketing campaign, went 9-7 in his third yr earlier than he was fired. The Jets, with a naked roster, went 4-13 in Saleh’s first yr and had been 7-10 final season after a 7-4 begin, their season ruined by the poor quarterback play of former No. 2 general draft choose Zach Wilson.
Regardless of the actual fact Saleh has executed a wonderful job altering the tradition and vibe across the Jets, anybody who doesn’t assume his seat hasn’t gotten hotter with Rodgers in the home is naïve.
“I acquired fired after beginning 8-3 and shedding 4 of the final 5 and that was after having gone to the playoffs,’’ Mangini mentioned.
Make no mistake: Mangini is rooting for Saleh and the Jets and is bullish on the acquisition of Rodgers.
“This makes everybody there higher,’’ Mangini mentioned. “They know they’ve acquired an opportunity to win each sport now.’’
Mangini mentioned an enormous optimistic is the truth that the Jets acquired Rodgers so early within the offseason and he already has offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, his former OC in Inexperienced Bay and an in depth buddy, in place.
The Jets acquired Favre in 2008 in the course of the preseason, and Mangini mentioned the staff needed to put the offense collectively on the fly with him. It was the definition of a shotgun marriage that didn’t work out.
“Except it is a Russell Wilson catastrophe, this could change the dynamic of the [AFC East] division,’’ Mangini mentioned, referring to Denver’s acquisition of Wilson from Seattle, which blew up within the Broncos’ faces final season. “When is the final time the Jets have been considerably extra related than the Patriots? It’s unimaginable.’’
One other factor Mangini loves about Rodgers as a Jet?
“You’ve acquired a motivated Aaron Rodgers,’’ he mentioned. “A pissed off Aaron Rodgers is what you need. When he was pissed off about Jordan Love being drafted, he was MVP. When he was pissed off about his contract, he was MVP. A motivated, energized Aaron Rodgers, that’s superior.
“I’d assume for an individual along with his persona, that is like, ‘Can I overcome this new problem? Can I do what Tom [Brady] did [winning a Super Bowl with Tampa Bay]?’ There are two completely different blueprints which have been set within the final couple of years — what occurred with Russell and what occurred with Tom.
“Who’s [Rodgers] going to be? The place’s he going to slot in that? I’d think about for a wise, pushed aggressive, profitable man like Aaron, that’s like a jolt of aggressive caffein.’’
With a splash of strain to the teaching employees to make all of it work.
