The NY Jets enter the 2024 season hoping to end the longest active postseason drought in professional American sports, and the hope is that Aaron Rodgers will be the man to help them accomplish that elusive feat.
Rodgers and the Jets will look to break a 13-year playoff drought this season — a drought that is five years longer than any other NFL team. They have some believers too.
Count Rodgers' former Green Bay Packers teammate and close friend David Bakhtiari among those who believe the Jets will make the playoffs this season. Bakhtiari is confident that Rodgers will lead his team to the postseason.
In an interview with ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the former All-Pro left tackle insisted that Rodgers and the Jets will "for sure" make the playoffs in 2024. Bakhtiari told Schefter he's "expecting big things" from Rodgers this season.
"I really hope the most for the guy. I know that [Aaron Rodgers]'s fire is burning really hard with the Jets, especially with what happened to him… I’m expecting big things from him. I’m expecting him to put a lot on his shoulders and right the ship. I think for sure they will make the playoffs….I don’t think it’s wise for any betting man to say that Aaron Rodgers isn’t going to make the playoffs."
- David Bakhtiari
David Bakhtiari warns about betting against Aaron Rodgers and the NY Jets
Bakhtiari issued a warning to anyone still doubting Rodgers and the Jets. He insisted it wasn't wise for anyone to bet on Rodgers missing the playoffs.
Rodgers helped lead his Packers to the postseason every year between 2009 and 2016, including a Super Bowl title in 2010. The four-time MVP also appeared in the postseason every year between 2019 and 2021 before his team disappointingly missed the playoffs in 2022.
A healthy Aaron Rodgers has only failed to qualify for the playoffs two times in his entire 16-year career as a starting quarterback. A shoulder injury limited Rodgers to seven games in 2017 while a broken thumb on his throwing hand significantly affected his performance in 2022.
All of this is to say that, yes, it's historically not been wise to bet against Rodgers making the playoffs. Of course, it's important to note that this is a 40-year-old Rodgers coming off a torn Achilles. It's been three years since we've seen him play at a high level.
That said, the Jets don't need the MVP version of Rodgers to return to the playoffs in 2024. This is a team that won seven games with the worst quarterback play in football a year ago. Even a league-average version of Rodgers should be enough to lead the Jets back to the postseason.
David Bakhtiari is willing to bet on Rodgers and the Jets making the playoffs this season, and history suggests that's a pretty wise bet.
