The New York Jets had high hopes for quarterback Aaron Rodgers over the summer, anticipating he’d return to form after tearing his Achilles in the season opener of 2023. However, following a surprising 25-22 loss to the struggling New England Patriots, which brought the Jets’ record to 2-6, Patriots defensive tackle Davon Godchaux hinted that the MVP-caliber version of Rodgers may be a thing of the past.
Reflecting on Rodgers’ performance after the game, Godchaux told NJ Advance Media’s Andy Vasquez, “I think he’s struggling right now. Seeing a Hall of Famer like him go out this way isn’t easy, but a win against him is always nice to add to your resume.”
This season, Rodgers has been hindered by injuries to both knees, a low ankle sprain, and most recently, a hamstring issue. Despite this, he wasn’t entirely ineffective against New England, completing 17 of 28 passes for 233 yards, throwing two touchdowns, and avoiding any interceptions with just one sack. Rodgers managed to give the Jets a late 22-17 lead, but SNY’s Ben Krimmel noted that they burned all their first-half timeouts within their first nine offensive plays. Rodgers also took a crucial delay of game penalty on a two-point conversion attempt that ultimately failed with 2:57 left in the game.
According to ESPN stats, Rodgers ranked 22nd in the league as of Monday, with a 50.3 adjusted QBR and an 85.1 passer rating, recording 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions over the season’s first eight games. New York has now endured five straight losses, and the team has struggled to gain traction since firing head coach Robert Saleh, going 0-3 in that time.
Godchaux didn’t hold back, adding, “He definitely doesn’t look the same. He doesn’t look mobile—I feel like I could run him down. That played to our advantage, knowing we could pressure him in the passing game.”
Rodgers will need to recover swiftly as the Jets prepare to face the 6-2 Houston Texans at MetLife Stadium this Thursday. As of Monday, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Texans favored by a single point.
