The warning signs were there for the Jets when they traded Aaron Rodgers in April 2023. His last season for the Packers saw a dip in his performances and he was ranked fourth from bottom in the league in terms of overall effectiveness. Yet, this is Aaron Rodgers we are talking about, a four-time MVP. However, just four snaps into his debut for the franchise, he tore his Achilles tendon, ending his season abruptly. When Rodgers returned to the field this season for the Jets, there was renewed optimism around MetLife Stadium, but their fortunes haven’t changed.

The Jets kicked off the season with a defeat to Super Bowl runner-ups, the 49ers in the opening game. They would then recover to win their next two outings against the Titans and the Patriots, but this was as good as it got for the team. Since then a run of five defeats has followed leading to the departure of former HC Robert Saleh on October 8, following a defeat by the Vikings. His firing hasn’t improved the team and now Rodgers has come under scrutiny for his underwhelming performances so far.

Former Washington Redskins OL, Mark Schlereth talked to Mike Evans about the situation at the Jets on Wednesday. Evans mentioned that Schlereth was high on the Jets this year and even picked them to win the AFC East and labeled their season as a “colossal disaster.” 

Schlereth mentioned, “I mean, I don’t know what’s worse than a dumpster fire, but whatever it is, it’s worse than a dumpster fire. Like, this is it. This is so bad. And like, what are you gonna do?” on The Stinkin Truth with Mark Schlereth podcast.

He added, “First off, you turn the keys over to Aaron Rodgers. Mr. Aaron Rodgers, who said ‘people think I have some type of authority what authority do I have’ Oh I don’t know everybody you’ve ever played with in the past at Green Bay was on this team at one point or another so don’t tell me the Jets just go you know ‘what we need is more aging Packers players who can’t play anymore to come bolster our roster’ come on dude seriously.”

With Rodgers’s move to the Jets, a string of players followed him from Wisconsin to New York. These included WR Randall Cobb (34), OT Dennis Kelly (34), OT Billy Turner (33), while none of the other five players signed were aged less than 27. But that’s not the only worry Schlereth has with Rodgers coming in. According to the former Broncos man, the Jets have gotten worse offensively with Rodgers, 40, handling the QB duties.

“They were better offensively—this is no lie—they were better offensively with Zach Wilson. Let that sink in. They have Davante Adams, they have Garrett Wilson, they’ve got Breece Hall, and they were better last year with Zach Wilson.” When Rodgers went off injured in the opening game last season, Zach Wilson took over the mantle.

In the first eight games, Wilson completed 133 competitions out of 218 attempts with a percentage of 61. He averaged 164 yards per game and had five TDs and 5 interceptions had a passer rating of 75.6. The Jets as a whole averaged 286.9 offensive yards and generated 1,006 total rushing yards. They scored a total of 10 rushing TDs and 6 passing touchdowns. Compare this to the first eight games of the new season, the stats won’t please the Jets fans.

Though they have averaged slightly more in offensive yards at 310.6, they have only accumulated 689 total rushing yards. They have also had 13 passing TDs but only 5 passing touchdowns. As for Rodgers, he has passed for 1896 yards so far, averaging 237 yards per game. He has 12 TDs and seven interceptions but his completion rate of 61.6% is similar to what Wilson had after eight games last term.

Statistically, he is having the worst start of his career. He’s 22nd in Total QBR (50.7), well below his career average (67). But the more concerning fact is the Jets’ 2-6 record so far. This season also saw WR Davante Adams, who partnered with Rodgers for eight seasons, join the franchise, but he hasn’t been able to flourish after their reunion.

Adams has played two games as a Jet now and he has only 7 receptions over 84 yards to show for it. Forget about scoring a touchdown, half of the passes that Rodgers threw to Adams didn’t even land on target. However, another one of his former Packers teammates, Allen Lazard has been doing way better in terms of production. He’s amassed 412 yards and 5 touchdowns this season.

Moreover, with Aaron Rodgers leading the offense Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson are on the same trajectory as last year with slight improvement. Thus the frustration among the Jets’ fanbase would be understandable and one fan had enough.

Disgruntled Jets fan burns Aaron Rodgers jersey after Patriots defeat

The Jets fell to a 22-25 defeat to the Patriots at the Gillette Stadium on Sunday. This was their fifth defeat in a row leaving them tied for the last place in AFC East with the Pats. Rodgers had an uneven game, as he completed 17 of his 28 passes for 233 yards and had two TDs. A QB rating of 111.2 might be some consolation, but the predicament of the team and their star QB isn’t pleasing for the fans.

Following their latest defeat, a disgruntled fan, recorded themselves burning an Aaron Rodgers jersey and uploaded the video on X. In the 30-second clip, we can see we can them dropping the jersey in a small fire pit and watching it burn.

Is this going too far? Maybe. But the Jets fans had lofty expectations after they welcomed a future Hall of Famer into their ranks. Safe to say, so far things haven’t turned out the way they would have hoped for. Even after sacking Robert Saleh, there has been no uptick in their fortunes, with the Jets now ranking 12th in points allowed per game.

The clock is ticking for Rodgers and Co. Next up for them are the Texans, who top the AFC South with a 6-2 record. Another chastening defeat in that game, could led to more fan anger and questions around Rodgers’s future at the Jets.