When the New York Jets acquired Davante Adams in a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders, there was a ton of excitement about the veteran wide receiver reuniting with Aaron Rodgers and revitalizing the Jets’ offense.
It seemed like the perfect move for the struggling Jets, and there was a lot of talk about this being the most talented supporting cast of Rodgers’ career. However, in his third Jets game with Adams, Rodgers just made history for the wrong reasons, and New York fans are fed up with the state of the franchise.
Aaron Rodgers Delivers Worst First Half of NFL Career
During tonight’s “Thursday Night Football” game against the Houston Texans, Rodgers passed for just 32 yards in the first half. He was 7-of-14, with his seven completions averaging just 2.3 yards.
Looking at the halves where he threw a minimum of 10 passes (to remove the games he left early with an injury), this is the worst first-half passing output of Rodgers’ NFL career, and it’s tied for his lowest yard total in any half.
This is the fifth-fewest first-half passing yards of any quarterback this season:
- Bo Nix (Week 4 at Jets): -7
- Trevor Lawrence (Week 2 vs. Browns): 16
- Bryce Young (Week 2 vs. Chargers): 22 3
- Bo Nix (Week 6 vs. Chargers): 22
- Aaron Rodgers (tonight vs. Texans): 32
Adams had four catches for 25 yards, while Wilson had two catches for nine yards. The Texans led the Jets, 7-0, at halftime. New York nearly scored a touchdown on a Malachi Corley end-around, but the rookie wide receiver celebrated too soon and dropped the ball before crossing the goal line.
Rodgers has really struggled throughout the 2024 season. PFN’s QB+ metric has Rodgers as the 21st-best quarterback in the league through eight weeks, with a C- grade. This season, Rodgers has received a C or D grade in five of eight games.
When the Jets acquired Rodgers in a blockbuster trade with the Green Bay Packers, the hope was that he would turn them into a Super Bowl contender. That’s why New York was willing to trade a 2023 first-round pick, 2023 second-round pick, 2023 sixth-round pick, and 2024 second-round pick for the four-time NFL MVP and Super Bowl XLV champion.
Instead, the 2-6 Jets currently find themselves in second-to-last place in the AFC standings.
Obviously, nobody could have predicted last year’s Achilles injury, which certainly seems to have limited Rodgers.
This season, Rodgers has thrown for 1,896 passing yards, 12 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He has been sacked 18 times in eight games.
His 85.1 passer rating is one of the worst marks of his career, behind only last season (when he was 0-of-1 passing before getting hurt) and his first two NFL seasons (when he attempted just 31 total passes combined).
Fans Chant “Sell the Team” During Thursday’s Game
During Thursday’s game, many Jets fans expressed their frustration with the state of the organization.
The broadcast has shown fans who are wearing brown bags and holding up signs criticizing the team.
Life as a #Jets fan in 2024: pic.twitter.com/vyCpGZPpGZ
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) November 1, 2024
During the third quarter, many fans started chanting, “Sell the team.”
This was obviously directed at owner Woody Johnson, who purchased the Jets in 2000.
“Sell the team” chants have broken out at MetLife stadium pic.twitter.com/qF6WHqKXS8
— JetNation (@JetNation) November 1, 2024
An heir to the Johnson & Johnson fortune, Johnson is the sixth-richest owner in the NFL. He played a key role in the development of MetLife Stadium and landing Super Bowl XLVIII.
In the NFLPA’s team report cards, Johnson received a B- grade, which ranked No. 20 overall among all NFL owners. The players rated him 8.2 out of 10 in terms of his “willingness to invest in the facilities.”
Before purchasing the Jets, Johnson was the chairman and chief executive of The Johnson Company, Inc., a private investment firm. Despite being a Johnson & Johnson heir, he only worked for the company for one summer.
From Nov. 8, 2017, to Jan. 20, 2021, Johnson was the United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom. In 2018, he relocated the United States Embassy in London.
Fans are clearly fed up with the team’s struggles and want to see changes, starting at the very top. It remains to be seen if Rodgers and the Jets can turn things around, but it’s safe to say things have not gone according to plan for New York.