It has not been easy being a sports fan of New York teams in recent years. Whether it is the struggle of both the Yankees and Mets in baseball or the failed super teams of Brooklyn and the New York Knicks in basketball, the most populous city in the United States has suffered in sporting terms recently.
The New York Giants arguably have the most success of the other New York teams, having won two Super Bowls in the last 16 years and defeating the Minnesota Vikings in the Wild Card round of the 2022 playoffs. The Giants’ rival, the New York Jets, has had a plethora of disappointing to outright bad seasons.
The last time the Jets won the Super Bowl was in 1969, the franchise’s only appearance in the league’s championship. Almost half a century of dismay and misery that many fans thought would never end, until a future Hall of Famer would show up on the scene.
His name is Aaron Rodgers, one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game.
At 39 years old, Rodgers had won everything with the Green Bay Packers, including a Super Bowl and Super Bowl MVP in the 2011 season, a four-time NFL MVP and a 10-time Pro Bowler. The acquisition of Rodgers, despite his age, sent shockwaves throughout the NFL.
For Jets fans, it was a renewed sense of hope that this time they could launch themselves back into relevance. That all changed only 75 seconds into Rodgers’ regular season debut on Monday, Sept. 11. On the fourth play of the Jets season, Rodgers tried to scramble away from a Buffalo Bills defender when he tore his Achilles, ending his season.
Many fans of not only the Jets but the sport of football were left in complete shock and disappointment. This left Jets fans wondering what would happen after the organization put so much effort into bringing Rodgers to New York and attempting to make them a contender again with a young and talented team. The Jets must now figure out the quarterback issue, which many fans and members of the organization question the ability of the current backup Zach Wilson, who was the second overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
New York is scrambling to find a suitable replacement at quarterback, and many are wondering if the injury will end Rodgers’ career for good. He is nearly 40 years old and is not getting any younger, and a torn Achilles is one of the worst injuries to suffer as an athlete due to the lengthy recovery time.
For the NFL, this is disastrous as many were excited to see both the Giants and Jets have young and exciting playoff contenders this coming season. New York has been starving for football success in recent years, and if the fans do not get it, it can get ugly. The Jets were also scheduled to have big prime-time games for TV audiences, so it will be interesting to see how viewership pans out over the coming weeks.
It is an unfortunate situation for all three parties involved, but only time will tell how impactful this is on everyone. It will take time, but everyone is hoping that Rodgers makes a full recovery and can get back to being the Aaron Rodgers that everyone knows and loves.
