NFL insider floats idea of Jets luring former MVP out of broadcast booth
After just four offensive snaps in a New York Jets uniform, quarterback Aaron Rodgers' 2023 season has come to a screeching halt. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport confirmed on Tuesday that Rodgers suffered a torn Achilles in the Jets Monday night win over the Buffalo Bills, subsequently ending his season.
With Zach Wilson, who underwhelmed with a 140-yard passing effort in the wake of Rodgers' injury, penciled in as the Jets starter, ESPN's Adam Schefter expects New York to scour the quarterback market.
"They’re going to have to do something at quarterback now because Zach Wilson will be the guy," Schefter said on ESPN's "SportsCenter " on Monday night. "But you wonder if they’ll reach out and bring in a guy like Carson Wentz. If they go get Matt Ryan... what they would do."
Ryan, 38, made his broadcasting debut with CBS this past weekend after 15 years in the NFL. When Ryan initially announced he was joining CBS, the former league MVP notably refused to acknowledge he was hanging up his cleats.
“This is not a retirement post,” Ryan wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
While Ryan boasts a borderline Hall of Fame resume with the seventh-most passing yards in NFL history, his play in recent seasons doesn't point to a quarterback capable of keeping the Jets playoff hopes alive.
Since leading the Atlanta Falcons to the Super Bowl in 2016, Ryan has accounted for just one winning season as a starting quarterback. His record from 2018-2022 sits at 29-46-1, with those 46 losses checking in as the most by an NFL quarterback over that span. Over the last four seasons, he's averaged 12.5 interceptions, tossing a total of 50 — which is second to Bills quarterback Josh Allen (51) since 2019.
With a Super Bowl-caliber roster and a sudden hole at quarterback, the Jets will almost certainly be aggressive in their search to add talent at the position. Yet, while Ryan's name might carry weight among fans, he's no longer the type of player capable of making the necessary plays to win from under center on a consistent basis.
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