“I shall rise yet again,” “Heartbroken” Aaron Rodgers said following his Achilles injury in his debut game with the New York Jets at “the cursed stadium – MetLife.” Cursed because this stadium is responsible for 17 very serious injuries in just three seasons. Nevertheless, as the Jets quarterback is arriving again in a new season with the team, many are hopeful that he might turn the tables this time around. Even a former NFL player believes so, given one condition.

In a recent episode of the Green Light podcast on August 29, 2024, hosts Chris Long and Macon Gunter previewed the AFC East and North divisions. While talking about the Jets, Long joked that their situation is like the song “I Fall To Pieces,” because “this team can’t stay healthy. Yeah, they have a banner offseason making. They basically went to the trauma Ward at a hospital and they were like – give me Tyron Smith, give me you know Mike Willam, give me the quarterback who blew his Achilles out the first week last year.”

Well, this statement of Long might be true when we consider the latest roster cutdowns of the Jets. According to the reports, months after seeing Rodgers’ gruesome injury, the team “announced that defensive tackle Leki Fotu, tight end Kenny Yeboah, and quarterback Jordan Travis were placed on injured reserve” ahead of the 2024 season. And this has surely built stress among other players, as they once again fear any potential injury in the future. Hence, Long believes if the Jets can avoid injuries in 2024, they have a strong chance to win the matchups.

But what does Long think about Aaron Rodgers? Well, despite concerns about the offense, the former NFL player also highlighted the quarterback’s ability to “sling it.” Moreover, he hopes that the team will focus on quick plays to protect Rodgers from any potential injury setback. Not only that! He also revealed his curiosity to see how Rodgers will connect with tight end Tyler Conklin this time. Besides that, Long also pointed out that key players like Breece Hall, Garrett Wilson, and Mike Williams are the essential pieces of the Jets’ offense, given just one condition.

So, all in all, despite all these hopes and the Jets’ weapons, Long’s biggest concern is still the health of the Jets’ players, especially on the offensive line. To prove his point, he also gave an example that if offensive tackles like Tyron Smith or Morgan Moses go down, they’ll have to rely on backups like Olu Fashanu, who is a rookie. Hence, the quarterback might come under danger once again, as his experienced protectors will not be there to save him and their Super Bowl hopes.

Apart from that, meanwhile, one NFL head coach believes that even if everyone stays healthy on the Jets’ side, Aaron Rodgers still won’t be able to play well.

Aaron Rodgers can’t play anymore?

Is it the end of Aaron Rodgers’ legacy? Well, according to one unnamed NFL head coach, the Jets were warned that Rodgers couldn’t play anymore even before he was tackled in the Week 1 game. However, that coach believes the Jets probably ignored or overlooked that warning, and hence, they are again going with Rodgers this season. Explaining his point, the HC said, “You go back and watch those first four plays before he got hurt; he did not look good. He looks old.”

He further added, “If they can’t protect him and they can’t run the football, it’ll be just what you saw late stages in Green Bay. He became ineffective. I’m looking at what he is, not who he is.” Hence, it is believed by some analysts and even former Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum that due to his age (40), Rodgers might not be able to return to his previous aura. And this year, as he is turning 41 in December, it would be difficult for him to perform in his Green Bay form, especially considering his Achilles injury.

Nevertheless, the Jets are placing all of their faith in him, who wishes to bring two Super Bowls with the franchise before his retirement.