Aaron Rodgers has mentioned this season that the New York Jets have not been playing with good energy. Heck, even when Davante Adams joined the team the Jets’ lack of winning energy was something that was immediately pointed out.
“It’s not really my personality to see something that’s not right and to just let it go on, regardless of whether it’s from the coaches, players, management, support staff, whoever,” Adams said after his first game with the Jets, a 37-15 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. “There was a lack of energy and urgency out there. And it was apparent, especially coming from, you know, I’ve played on teams that have that winning culture.:
That was a huge call out from Adams, and all the Jets have done since then was lose two of their next three. That included Week 10’s matchup with the Arizona Cardinals on the road, which saw them lose, 31-6.
It was another listless performance from the Jets, highlighted (or lowlighted) by Rodgers completing just 22-of-35 passes for 151 yards. He averaged 4.3 yards per completion and only connected with Adams six times for 31 yards.
This was far from the explosive offense the Jets likely expected when they paired Rodgers with his former top receiver from their days with the Green Bay Packers. Getting even more granular, though, this was far from the performance Rodgers was expecting after the Jets actually won a game, which was a Halloween win over the Houston Texans on Thursday Night Football.
After the loss to the Cardinals, Rodgers again lamented the team’s energy, via Rich Cimini of ESPN.
“I thought after a big win Thursday night, a nice long week, we were going to come out with a lot of energy and win the game, and we didn’t come out with great energy on either side of the ball,” Rodgers said.
The problem for the Jets, though, is that they do have energy, and it’s largely the energy that Rodgers brings (or doesn’t bring) to the table.
Aaron Rodgers has an attitude problem
Rodgers is a four-time MVP and he’s long been thought of as one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history, but his acumen as a leader has always been questioned as well. His teammates, especially the one in Green Bay, have largely gotten his back and many of his best friends are former teammates. The Jets found that out last season when he brought a few along with him. But not everyone has fallen in line to fall over at the alter of his greatness.
Greg Jennings won a Super Bowl with Rodgers, but he’s been a vocal critic. Colin Cowherd, Fox Sports personality, has been one of Rodgers’ top critics, but it’s worth noting that his main criticism of Rodgers being a front-runner who is great when things are going great and tough to deal with when the going gets tough. Well, those criticisms have largely held up as well.
Rodgers became well-known for his eye-rolling in Green Bay when the Packers offense wasn’t able to make a play. He was distrusting of younger wide receivers to the point of icing them out of the game, and his laser focus on pumping the ball to Adams arguably cost the Packers the game against the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Divisional Playoffs in January 2022.
This is the same quarterback who said the Jets needed to avoid distractions in 2024 but then got into a feud with Jimmy Kimmel, missed mandatory mini-camp for a vacation to Egypt, flirted with becoming a politician and spends every week airing out his grievances with Pat McAfee on ESPN.
The Jets have energy. The problem is that it’s bad energy, and it largely emanates off the four-time MVP who has played anything but for New York.
Again, Rodgers’ talent will never be questioned, but his ability to be a winner is firmly under question. Remember, in an era where Patrick Mahomes already has three Super Bowl wins under his belt, Rodgers only has one — and he’s not getting another one this season.
“There’s been a lot of emotions this year, for sure,” Rodger said on Sunday, via Andy Vasquez of NJ Advance Media.
He was asked to elaborate on that statement.
‘I’m not going to,” Rodgers said. “A lot of different emotions. That’s a loaded answer, but it’s not the time or the place to get into that right now. But at some point, I’ll give you a better answer.”
Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy once called Rodgers a “complicated fella”.
The Jets have been finding that out the hard way. They’ve got an energy problem for sure, but it’s Rodgers who needs to check his chakras.
