MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Aaron Rodgers stood on the sideline at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday afternoon, crossed his arms, and shook his head.
For the last several weeks the Jets played coy about Rodgers potentially returning less than three months after a torn Achilles.
In the days before the game, Jets coach Robert Saleh claimed he had no idea where Rodgers stood in his comeback, letting the anticipation build the possibility of Rodgers returning as soon as next week, against the Commanders if the Jets already-slim playoff hopes were still alive
But by halftime Sunday, that idea seemed laughable — even though Rodgers was most decidedly not laughing.
The Jets were on their way to a 30-0 loss to the Dolphins, an unrelenting curb-stomping that made the reality of their situation undeniable: Saleh and GM Joe Douglas should feel lucky to have a job, because if not for the tantalizing prospect of Rodgers coming back in 2024, there would be no reason to keep them around.
The Jets have three of the best young stars in the game in Garrett Wilson, Breece Hall, and Sauce Gardner. Even without Rodgers, they had the same core of a roster that started last season 7-4 and was in prime position to make the playoffs before losing six straight to end the season.
And yet they have gotten significantly worse in 2023. Some will say that’s what happens when you lose your starting quarterback on the fourth play of the season, and indeed that was a bad break for the Jets. But they completely mismanaged the situation after that, trotting Zach Wilson out there to be the starter after publicly admitting multiple times he would be better off having the year off.
They somehow put themselves in position to contend for a playoff spot anyway, winning four of their first seven games without Rodgers. But they celebrated like they won the Super Bowl after edging the Giants with a remarkable last-second comeback in Week 8, only to lose the next five straight thanks to a nightmarish slew of…
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