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Rich Cimini, ESPN Staff WriterDec 1, 2024, 07:33 PM ET
- Rich Cimini is a staff writer who covers the New York Jets and the NFL at ESPN. Rich has covered the Jets for over 30 years, joining ESPN in 2010. Rich also hosts the Flight Deck podcast. He previously was a beat writer for the New York Daily News and is a graduate of Syracuse University. You can follow him via Twitter @RichCimini.
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Things have gotten so bad for the New York Jets and quarterback Aaron Rodgers that the future Hall of Famer’s job security may now be in jeopardy.
One day shy of his 41st birthday, Rodgers played one of his worst games of the season in a 26-21 loss to the Seattle Seahawks at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, leading to a tepid postgame endorsement from interim coach Jeff Ulbrich.
Ulbrich punted when asked to give an assessment of Rodgers’ performance, which included a red-zone interception — a game-changing pick-6 in the second quarter. Ulbrich said he needed to watch the film before giving an evaluation.
It’s highly unusual for a team official to give a “coachspeak” answer when discussing an all-time great. Ulbrich was asked if he’s contemplating a quarterback change. Instead of shutting down speculation with a direct “no,” he replied, “Not as of today.”
It would be a stunner if Ulbrich replaces Rodgers with veteran Tyrod Taylor. Then again, who knows? Owner Woody Johnson suggested benching Rodgers when the team was 2-2, sources said after general manager Joe Douglas was fired on Nov. 19. Now the Jets are 3-9, having clinched their ninth consecutive losing season.
“Yeah, I don’t know. We’ll figure that out when we have those conversations,” Rodgers said about the possibility of a change, adding, “I’ll have a conversation with [Ulbrich] if that’s what he’s thinking.”
Rodgers declined to comment on how he’d react, saying it’s hypothetical. He did say he wants to keep playing and that he feels “as good as I’ve felt all season” from a physical standpoint.
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The only other time in his starting career that he thought he might be benched was in 2018, when the Green Bay Packer finished 6-9-1 in Mike McCarthy’s last season. Rodgers rebounded to win his third and fourth MVPs in 2020 and 2021, cementing his place in history.
Those days appear gone.
Rodgers (21-for-39, 185 yards) failed to reach the 200-yard mark for the third straight game and the fifth time this season, as the Jets blew leads of 14-0 and 21-7 and imploded with eight penalties in the fourth quarter.
For the fifth time, Rodgers had a chance to pull out a win on the final possession — and came up short. The Jets drove to the Seattle 29 at the two-minute warning, but they went backward and ended on a hopeless heave to nobody in the end zone.
“It’s disappointing. What else can you say?” he said. “We’ve had a lot of chances in these situations. A lot of these games come down to one play, whether you make it or miss it. Sometimes that play happens in the second quarter. If I make that play, [it’s] 28-7 — a different ballgame.”
He was referring to his overthrow on a second down from the Seattle 9. Wide receiver Garrett Wilson was wide open in the end zone, but the pass sailed over his head. On the next play, Rodgers threw his first red zone interception of the season — his second pick-6 of the year.
Rodgers said he didn’t see former Jets defensive tackle Leonard Williams, who had dropped into coverage. Williams tipped the pass to himself and returned it 92 yards for a touchdown — the longest pick-6 for a defensive lineman in NFL history.
It was a potential 13-point turnaround. Instead of a 28-7 lead, the Jets’ advantage was cut to 21-13 after the Williams touchdown and a failed PAT.
“Those plays in the second quarter cost us the game,” Rodgers said.
He did throw an 8-yard touchdown to wide receiver Davante Adams, and there was a 4-yard shovel pass to running back Isaiah Davis for a score. Otherwise, he struggled with his accuracy, completing only two of 14 on passes of 10+ air yards, according to Next Gen Stats.
Rodgers, choosing his words carefully, distributed the blame, shifting the full brunt away from himself.
“Well, there are 11 guys on the field,” he said, explaining his struggles. “Sometimes it’s my fault. Definitely multiple times today. And then the details aren’t there in some other spots, too.”
Running back Breece Hall contributed to the collapse by fumbling in the third quarter, which set up a Seattle field goal. He was disconsolate after the game, saying, “I feel like this year has probably been the most trying year of my life … If I can’t take care of the ball, I shouldn’t be in the game. So, I have to be better, and I felt like today I lost us the game.”
The Jets are spiraling to one of their worst seasons in franchise history, prompting cornerback Sauce Gardner to say, “It’s unacceptable, man. It’s unacceptable.”
