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Joe Namath makes passionate plea to Jets, Aaron Rodgers
New York Jets legend Joe Namath suggested that Jets chairman Woody Johnson and vice chairman Christopher Johnson should step in, if necessary, to stop quarterback Aaron Rodgers from returning to the lineup this season after Rodgers suffered a torn Achilles on Sept. 11.
"I hope that Woody and Christopher, if that’s what it takes, say, 'No, you are not, Aaron,'" Namath told Tom Rock of Newsday. "Aaron, being the team guy he is, probably wants to come back and play, but if I was the owner, no. I don’t care. No. We are not going to risk it with the team and the situation the way it is, with the offensive line. What have we got to gain by putting our most valuable player without having played more than a couple of snaps in the games coming up? Save him for next year. Please."
Rodgers, presumably, is committed to playing through next season after he accepted a significant pay cut this past summer, and the future Hall of Famer turns 40 years old on Saturday. The Jets have allowed the third-most sacks (47) in the NFL for the ongoing campaign, and numerous knowledgeable individuals have repeatedly raised concerns regarding Rodgers forcing his way into the lineup before the summer of 2024. Despite all of that, he could play at the Miami Dolphins on Dec. 17 if New York wins back-to-back games to get to 6-7.
Insiders routinely mention that Rodgers essentially is making significant Jets-related decisions behind the scenes. Namath believes Rodgers shouldn't have the final say in this matter.
"Aaron doesn’t own the team," Namath directly said. "If that’s what it takes, the ownership should say, 'No.' Do you think [Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager] Jerry Jones would let this happen? . . . If it goes that far, I hope Christopher and Woody say, 'No.' Why? Give me a good reason why Aaron, even if he is 100% now, comes back to play the rest of this season. Because he wants to play? Excuse me. If you own the team, you want to see him play for a contender and we are not a contender this year."
As of Friday afternoon, the ESPN Football Power Index gave the 4-7 Jets a 0.5% chance of making the playoffs. Those Jets will be without Rodgers when they host the 5-6 Atlanta Falcons this Sunday.
It's unclear if a loss against Atlanta would change or eliminate plans for a potential Rodgers return later this month. While Namath added he will "wish [Rodgers] the best" if the four-time NFL MVP insists on starting before Week 18, "Broadway Joe" is hoping everyone involved will think about what could be for the 2024 edition of the Jets.
More must-reads:
- Aaron Rodgers reveals whether he will play if the Jets are out of contention
- Three-time Super Bowl champion sends warning to Jets' Aaron Rodgers
- The 'Most passing touchdowns in the postseason' quiz
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Former Packers Star Already Experiencing Issues With New Team
The Green Bay Packers decided to cut cornerback Jaire Alexander last month, a rather frustrating move considering the Packers didn’t really have much of an answer to replace him. One of the primary reasons Green Bay released Alexander was because of his inability to stay healthy, as the two-time Pro Bowler played in just 14 games over the last two seasons and 34 over the last four. He refused to take a pay cut, and the Packers did not feel justified paying that much money for a guy who was rarely on the field. Well, Green Bay was kind of validated in its decision to move on from Alexander in training camp, as the 28-year-old is already sidelined in Baltimore Ravens camp due to swelling in his knee, via Jason B. Hirschhorn of The Leap. Alexander is going to have his knee drained and is expected to practice on Tuesday, but the fact that he is already experiencing injury issues in Baltimore is evidence that the Packers made the right move. Of course, it would have been nice if Green Bay cut Alexander back in March rather than in June, as it would have given the team a better opportunity to add another cornerback, either via free agency or the NFL Draft. Yes, the Packers signed Nate Hobbs, but the general consensus at the time was that he was being added to play alongside of Alexander; not to replace him. Green Bay has very limited proven depth at the position, and had the Packers known for sure they would be parting ways with Alexander earlier in the offseason, perhaps they would have been more inclined to bring in another corner. When healthy, Alexander is terrific. During his last healthy campaign in 2022, he racked up 56 tackles, five interceptions and 14 passes defended en route to a Pro Bowl appearance, but that’s just the thing: it’s rare that the former first-round pick isn’t dealing with some sort of injury.
Ryan McMahon Only Needed 2 Games With the Yankees to Embarrass Aaron Boone
Only eight plate appearances into his New York Yankees career, Ryan McMahon has already been more productive than the team’s previous third base options. What might sound hyperbolic or outright false at first glance is actually true, at least from a certain point of view. Analytics — specifically, Wins Above Replacement — proves that argument, and it’s one that Yankees manager Aaron Boone should be ashamed of. McMahon went 2-for-3 with a two-run double in Sunday’s victory over the Phillies, giving him four hits in his first eight at-bats. FanGraphs ruled that McMahon is already worth 0.2 fWAR through two games in a Yankees uniform. Amazingly, McMahon has a higher fWAR than the trio of DJ LeMahieu, Oswald Peraza, and Jorbit Vivas, who have played a combined 148 games in the infield thus far. LeMahieu provided -0.1 fWAR over 45 games before being unceremoniously cut earlier this month, while Vivas (-0.2) is currently at Triple-A. Peraza and his -0.6 fWAR remain on the active roster, though he’s shifted into a bench role. Baseball-Reference has been slightly more generous, giving Peraza -0.2 bWAR. Boone stuck with LeMahieu and Peraza until he couldn’t anymore, and it’s partly why the Yankees have dropped to 5 1/2 games back in the AL East. Injuries and age took their toll on LeMahieu, who only played second after returning from calf and hip problems. Peraza owns a .152 average and .452 OPS in 170 plate appearances. We’ll see if McMahon can elevate the Yankees, who open a pivotal four-game set with the rival Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night.
Russell Westbrook Signing On Hold As Kings Aim To Finalize Key Trades
Recent league rumblings suggested that the Sacramento Kings will be signing Russell Westbrook to bolster their backcourt depth. While signing the nine-time All-Star would certainly be in their interest, the Kings appear to have other priorities in mind. Sacramento has been particularly active in trade talks this offseason. From being involved in negotiations for Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga to supposedly facilitating a trade for DeMar DeRozan, the Kings will be making some changes. Westbrook's arrival is imminent, as his agent, Jeff Schwarz, has been in constant communication with the Kings' front office. However, the organization is reportedly aiming to complete trades involving Malik Monk and Devin Carter before moving forward with Westbrook, per ABC10's Matt George. The trade market for Monk and Carter hasn’t been promising. Carter has been mentioned as the central figure in Sacramento's trade package for Kuminga. The Warriors haven't viewed this favorably, as they have shown an interest in Keon Ellis instead. Meanwhile, the Kings' decision to trade Monk is an intriguing one, especially in light of the season he had. Primarily acting as a bench player, the guard put up 17.2 points and 5.6 assists per night, while shooting 43.9% from the field and 32.5% from beyond the arc. At only 26 years old, Monk has proven himself a valuable contributor with his athleticism and shot-making ability. This move seems driven by roster imbalance and cap constraints. With a crowded backcourt and limited cap space, the Kings have been forced to make tough choices. Facilitating a trade for the guard has proven to be a challenge. Even though trade efforts for Monk began earlier this month, Sacramento hasn’t made much progress. While this could complicate matters under normal circumstances, it likely won’t derail Westbrook’s eventual signing. Apart from a few teams, the 36-year-old hadn't garnered much interest for his talents. When considering that the market for Westbrook was held up by Ben Simmons' pending decision to sign with a team, it is evident that Sacramento took a more proactive approach. This could have positive results in light of the season the veteran guard had. Coming off a solid season with the Denver Nuggets, Westbrook showcased that he could be perceived as a reliable floor general even at this stage in his career. For the 2024-25 season, he put up an average of 13.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 6.1 assists, while shooting 44.9% from the field and 32.3% from three-point range. He also showed that he could shine in a more prominent role, drawing on the task of being a starter in Jamal Murray's absence. That stretch led to a modest boost in production, reinforcing his value on a playoff-caliber team. Sacramento hasn’t made its direction for the upcoming season entirely clear. But given the current roster construction, a top-10 finish in the West seems unlikely.
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Cowboys aren't out of the woods despite positive Tyler Guyton injury update
The Dallas Cowboys avoided a worst-case scenario with Tyler Guyton's knee injury, but that doesn't mean they emerged unscathed. On Monday, NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported that offensive tackle Tyler Guyton, the No. 29 overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, was believed to have torn his ACL during training camp practice. However, an MRI later showed the ligament remained intact, and he instead suffered a fracture, which comes with an expected 4-6 week recovery timeline, far better than a season-ending ACL tear. While the Cowboys can breathe a sigh of relief that Guyton's knee injury was less severe than initially expected, they aren't out of the woods. If Guyton's recovery is on the longer end of the spectrum, he will be in danger of missing the start of the regular season on Sept. 4. The Cowboys play in the Thursday night season opener on the road against the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles. An unavailable Guyton would be bad news for Dallas. Asim Richards, a 2023 fifth-round pick (No. 171 overall), will likely get the first chance of taking the first-team left tackle spot while Guyton heals. In his one career start (Week 10 last season against the Philadelphia Eagles), he allowed a sack and four total pressures. (h/t Pro Football Focus) Hakeem Adeniji, currently Terence Steele's backup at right tackle on the unofficial Cowboys depth chart, started his NFL career at left tackle but struggled mightily in pass protection from 2020-22, allowing 17 sacks and 72 total pressures. While Guyton experienced some rough rookie growing pains last season, including being flagged 18 times and allowing six sacks, he received his two highest PFF pass-blocking grades in Weeks 15 and 17, a step in the right direction. Instead of carrying that momentum into Week 1 against the Eagles, Guyton's injury could stall it. The Cowboys follow their trip to Philly with a home game 10 days later against the New York Giants, who could have one of the league's top edge-rushing duos in Brian Burns and rookie Abdul Carter. If Guyton is anything less than 100 percent, they could wreak havoc. Guyton's injury could have been much worse, but it can still cause plenty of problems.
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