Mike Greenberg: Jets could 'have a shot' at the Super Bowl next year with Aaron Rodgers
The New York Jets haven't been to the Super Bowl since 1969, when they won their only championship in Super Bowl III.
ESPN's Mike Greenberg said Friday that if "Gang Green" can acquire Aaron Rodgers this offseason, then the four-time MVP could not only help breakout rookie wideout Garrett Wilson reach another level, but also lead the team back to the title game.
Speculation of Rodgers heading east had already been rampant for weeks, if not months, before New York's hiring of Nathaniel Hackett as their next offensive coordinator Thursday sent those rumors into overload. Though Hackett is coming off of a failed tenure as the Denver Broncos head coach that lasted less than one season, he previously held gigs as the offensive coordinator with the Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars -- the latter of which he was a co-worker of current Jets head coach Robert Saleh.
Hackett more recently served as the Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator from 2019 to 2021, working closely with Rodgers during his back-to-back MVP campaigns in the coach's final two years with the organization. While the 39-year-old signal-caller hasn't made his plans for the rest of 2023 clear yet, his future with the Packers is certainly in doubt, and it's been reported that the team won't be trading him to a fellow NFC team.
After the Hackett news came out on Thursday, Saleh made it clear that the Jets would look to bring in a veteran quarterback this offseason but were also not giving up on youngster Zach Wilson. Rodgers is coming off of a down season, recording his lowest passing yardage total (3,695) since his injury-shortened 2017 campaign and 12 interceptions (one shy of his career high in 2008), while Green Bay missed the playoffs for the first time since 2018.
Perhaps hinting at No. 12's imminent departure, Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said two weeks ago that he thought backup signal-caller Jordan Love (drafted 26th overall in 2020) was "ready to play" and is "chomping at the bit."
Although New York spent the No. 2 overall pick in 2021 on Wilson, the first two seasons have been a disaster for the former BYU Cougar. If the Jets are willing to have the 23-year-old as a backup in the fall, and Rodgers returns to form next season, the pieces are potentially there for the team to at least get back to the playoffs.
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