Getty New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers reacting in the middle of an NFL game.
New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers is coming back to football with a vengeance after an injury-plagued 2023.
Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report put together “realistic expectations” for several injured NFL stars including Rodgers. In his column, Knox projected statistical production for each of the players and he provided some tantalizing fodder for Jets fans.
“Stat Projection: 17 Starts, 4,211 Passing Yards, 26 TDs, 10 INTs, 95.5 QB Rating,” Knox revealed.
Those numbers last season would have placed Rodgers at No. 6 in the league in passing yards, ninth in passing touchdowns, and tied for 20th with 10 picks. Rodgers would have placed No. 10 best in the NFL in QBR, per ESPN.
Those projected statistical achievements may not raise eyebrows from a league perspective, but that would smash the Jets franchise record books.
The 4,211 would be the most passing yards by a Jets quarterback ever in a single season and he would become only the second quarterback in team history to go over the 4,000-yard passing plateau. The 26 passing touchdowns would be tied for third-best all-time.
Only two times in Jets franchise history has a quarterback started at least 16 games and has thrown 10 interceptions or fewer. Ken O’Brien accomplished that on both occasions in 1985 (eight picks to 25 touchdowns) and in 1990 (10 picks to 13 passing touchdowns).
Rodgers, in these projections (95.5), would also annihilate the previous best QBR for a Jets quarterback in a single season. The previous high for a Jets quarterback who started 16 games was Chad Pennington in 2006 with a 64.2.
.@Kris_Knox of @BleacherReport provided some “realistic” statistical projections for some #NFL stars returning from injury.
He projects #Jets QB Aaron Rodgers to start all 17 games & put up these numbers:
– 4,211 passing yards
– 26 passing touchdowns to 10 interceptions
– 95.5…
A Total Big Fat Unknown Heading Into 2024
I’ve asked several Jets players on the record and several off the record what should we expect from Rodgers in 2024.
The answer is still the same, “no idea.” That is what Jets punter Thomas Morstead told me after the season when I asked him about the subject.
This isn’t a player being cagey, but rather a player being honest. Rodgers is 40 years of age and he will turn 41 in December of 2024.
He is coming off of a devastating Achilles tear that cost him the entirety of last season. Rodgers historically has proven to be a different player when he has a chip on his shoulder. When people have doubted him in the past, he has used that as fuel to motivate him.
If that is what truly revs his engine then he should have plenty of fuel coming off of last year. The talk of the league is whether or not Rodgers still has it after years of not seeing it.
A-Rod missed last season and was coming off of a “bad year” with the Green Bay Packers [it’s all relative] before he was traded to the Jets.
Was that a sign of decline or just a series of unfortunate events [playing through an injury and a team falling apart around him]? The eye in the sky never lies and we will find out the answer to that question early during the 2024 campaign.
Those Wouldn’t Be MVP Numbers But…
Rodgers has won the NFL’s MVP award on four separate occasions.
Here were his statistical feats during each of those seasons.
2011
4,643 passing yards, 45 passing touchdowns to six interceptions, and completed 68.3% of his passes.
2014
4,381 passing yards, 38 passing touchdowns to five interceptions, and completed 65.6% of his passes.
2020
4,299 passing yards, 48 passing touchdowns to five interceptions, and completed 70.7% of his passes.
2021
4,115 passing yards, 37 passing touchdowns to four interceptions, and completed 68.9% of his passes.
The statistical projections from Knox wouldn’t put him in line for a fifth MVP trophy in 2024. However, that would put him in a prime position to lead his team to the promised land.
Perhaps the most important projection for Rodgers from Knox was games played being 17. Appearing in only four snaps to playing a full season is something every Jets fan would sign up for right now regardless of the other numbers.
When you pair those numbers with what the Jets already have in terms of skill talent, offensive line, and defense the team will have a chance to make some serious noise.
DraftKings Sportsbook released the AFC East title odds ahead of 2024 and the Jets are tied for the second-best odds in the division.
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