The return of Aaron Rodgers in 2024 was expected to ignite a stagnant NY Jets offense and breathe new life into a number of key skill players. Perhaps nobody was more excited about Rodgers' return than Garrett Wilson.
The third-year wide receiver had been forced to play with seven different quarterbacks over the first two seasons of his NFL career, but despite his abysmal supporting cast, Wilson still topped 1,000 yards in each of his first two years in the league.
The sky was deemed the limit for Wilson with Rodgers throwing him passes. But through three weeks, Wilson hasn't put up the staggering numbers many expected him to.
This isn't to say he's been bad. Wilson ranks second on the Jets in catches behind Breece Hall and leads the team in receiving yards, admittedly just by two yards over Allen Lazard. Still, it's obvious that Rodgers and Wilson haven't found their groove just yet.
Rodgers admitted this following the Jets' Week 3 win over the New England Patriots on Thursday Night Football while making a prediction about the future of the Jets' offense.
"Once 5 (Garrett Wilson) and I get on that same page, it's going to be special."
- Aaron Rodgers
NY Jets hoping for special Aaron Rodgers-Garrett Wilson connection
The Jets' offense has found considerable success over the first three weeks of the season, especially when compared to recent years. The Jets already have nine offensive touchdowns through three weeks. It took them 11 weeks to match that same total in 2023.
But while Rodgers and the Jets' offense continue to impress, Wilson is off to an uncharacteristically slow start. He's on pace for 85 catches and 850 yards this season, which would be the least productive year of his NFL career to this point.
Of course, it's a small sample size, but Wilson has yet to top 60 yards in a game this season. That's a far cry from the Offensive Player of the Year-type production that many were expecting.
Part of this has been due to the emergence of supplementary weapons in the Jets' offense. The Jets are no longer forced to rely on Wilson and Hall to dominate touches. Rodgers is spreading the ball around, with players like Lazard, Mike Williams, Tyler Conklin, and Braelon Allen all contributing.
It's also fair to point out that Wilson has been guarded by three of the best cornerbacks in the NFL through three games, with Charvarius Ward, L'Jarius Sneed, and Christian Gonzalez shadowing him in consecutive weeks.
Still, there's just something off about the Rodgers-Wilson connection right now. Again, they've still connected on a number of impressive plays, with Wilson tallying his first touchdown from Rodgers on Thursday night.
But it could be better. Anyone who watched Rodgers throw passes to Davante Adams for a lot of his career knows just how special the Rodgers-Wilson connection can be.It's a work in progress, but Rodgers believes it will sort itself out. And with two all-world talents like them, it's hard to disagree.
