Former Jets player issues challenge for Aaron Rodgers return

Former New York Jets offensive lineman and current NFL analyst Willie Colon challenged the club to end the longest active playoff drought among the four major North American sports leagues with Aaron Rodgers set to serve as its starting quarterback this coming season.

"The biggest thing for the Jets right now is the talk is over: You’ve got to go win," Colon recently told Andy Vasquez of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com.

The 2023 Jets lost Rodgers to a torn Achilles just four offensive snaps into their regular-season opener but managed to get to a 4-3 record before they imploded. Despite all that went wrong for Gang Green without Rodgers, Colon said it was an "accomplishment" that the team finished the season with an overall mark of 7-10.

"Now imagine what that looks like with Aaron Rodgers," Colon remarked. "So I’m optimistic. But every Jets fan is extremely optimistic this time of year. And it’s about them producing."

The Jets bolstered their offensive line via multiple offseason acquisitions but also retained general manager Joe Douglas, head coach Robert Saleh and offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett so they could run it back with Rodgers. 

It's believed Jets owner Woody Johnson could show Douglas, Saleh, Hackett and maybe even Rodgers the door if the club fails to meet expectations for a second straight season with the future Hall of Famer on the roster.

"On paper, they look amazing," Colon added about expectations hovering over the Jets this summer. "It’s just a matter of what happens when the ball rolls out there between those two white lines. How they produce. Obviously, Aaron is the key. How he goes, they go, and I think Aaron is aware of that."

As of Tuesday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Jets at -160 betting odds to make the playoffs for the upcoming season. 

Considering Rodgers turns 41 years old this December and seemingly could explore non-football-related interests at any point, the Jets may need to do more than merely participate in the next postseason tournament for Johnson to let Douglas and Saleh hold onto their jobs through the start of the 2025 campaign.