Come Sunday, it might be the final time the Jets Nation will witness Aaron Rodgers start in their colors. Playing his first full season in East Rutherford, the four-time NFL MVP’s chapter in New York may come to a disappointing end. But his interim head coach, Jeff Ulbrich, has some different plans for his veteran QB. No matter how his Jets tenure has gone by, Rodgers deserves a farewell for what he tried to do with the Jets. But before we get to that…

How sure are we Rodgers is retiring? Well, we aren’t. But if you look at the QB’s demeanor over the past week, there’s definitely an air of finality engrossing him. On January 1, in an interview with ESPN, he said, “I’m just more resigned to the reality of the situation. I think there’s going to be change here, and if I’m part of the change, then I just want to make sure everybody knows I have nothing but gratitude for my time here.”

“This game has given me a lot. I’ve given a lot back to it, and I’m thankful for it. I won’t be thinking about that on game day. I’ll just be enjoying this. I’m trying to stay in the moment, but, of course, it’s been a long career. I’m really proud of what I’ve been able to be a part of, what I’ve been able to accomplish, and I’m also looking forward to a nice mental and physical rest,” he concluded saying, ahead of his 241st overall appearance in the NFL. Well, the dejection is expected given Rodgers’ 2024 stats.

After missing out on a major chunk of the 2023 season owing to a torn Achilles with just four snaps, the veteran player’s performance this year stands at 24 touchdown passes and 10 interceptions (the fourth time in his career with double-digit interceptions). Additionally, he ranks 25th out of 33 qualified passers in Total QBR. But that doesn’t mean Ulbrich is going to let the sadness linger…

Opening up about the possibility of A-Rod playing his final game in week 18, Jeff Ulbrich made his feelings clear on his 41-year-old QB, “To even be a small part of his story, it’s an honor. If it happens to be his last game, let’s take him out on the right note.” With a record of 4-12, the Dolphins game doesn’t have any significance to the Jets season. Win or lose, they will extend their playoff drought to 14 years. However, for the sake of the QB, a win on Sunday at MetLife Stadium will allow him to go out with a bang.

Leaving aside what happened on the gridiron, Rodgers himself enjoyed his brief time in New York, “Gratitude, honestly. It’s been the best two years of my life. And that’s a perspective adjustment that happened at some point during the rehab process last year.” Although it didn’t turn out the way everyone desired it to be, Rodgers had his fun: “Just the excitement of falling back in love with the game. Getting to know these guys in here. Getting to know the great men and women who work here, it’s been a lot of fun.” But that’s not all…

The 41-year-old isn’t averse to the possibility of helping his team beyond his QB duties either. Talking about the potential of a new successor, Rodgers said, “If [the Jets] asked me back and they drafted a guy, I’d mentor the hell out of him if I was playing and I’d try to play as well as I could to keep him on the bench.”

Now, whatever the stakes are on Sunday, Rodgers’ long-time teammate Davante Adams is fired up. He even sent a strong message to his locker room, that could potentially hype them up to get a positive result to close out their season.

Davante Adams wants his Jets locker room to wake up 

It hasn’t been a great season for the six-time Pro Bowler after his mid-season switch from Las Vegas. After 10 games with the Jets, Adams has only recorded 766 yards and six TDs. His best game in green and white came in week 15 when the Jets broke their four-game losing streak against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Adams caught nine catches for 198 yards and two TDs, all in the second half. Now, despite not producing those numbers, which was expected of Adams, he did turn into a leader for his experience in the league.

And that has led to him sending a message to his teammates who are probably already preparing for their offseason trips, “You’re not going to go out there against Miami and say, ‘Well, it’s all done, and we got trips planned and all this stuff’. So it’s not a good feeling for me.” Adams, who is a three-time All-Pro and two-time league leader for receiving TDs, is determined to end his season on the right foot and expects others to do the same: “I’ve gotten used to winning in my career. For the most part of it. I’m still gonna be determined to do it, getting out there and putting the best stuff on tape. I hope everybody else follows.”

So here’s the real question that the Jets need to ask themselves. Do they want to end their season on the right patch by stopping their divisional rivals from having any chance to reach the playoffs? Or are they willing to just give up? Guess we will find out soon as the Jets prepare themselves to watch Aaron Rodgers ball one last time.