New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers has seen just about everything across his two decades in the NFL. The highs of a Super Bowl, the lows of defeat every step of the way, it's safe to say he won't be phased by whatever comes his way in 2024.
That isn't necessarily the case for the rest of the Jets, many of whom are familiar with preseason hype and midseason disappointment, but not the burden of true Super Bowl expectations – the kind that come with Rodgers struggling to find the win column in December, rather than recovering from a career-threatening injury.
With a heavyweight with the San Francisco 49ers waiting for them at the end of Week 1 and the nation's eyes intently focused on their performance, adversity could come sooner than anticipated.
Rodgers is ready to guide them through it.
"The mental part of it is the most important part," Rodgers said, via SNY. "You've got to get your mind right, it's a grind, it's a long season. Lots of ups and downs you gotta prepare yourself to get off the wave. You've got to find a way to be a stability point for the team … We're not riding the highs too much, not riding the lows. Adversity's going to come at some point during the season, we've got to make sure we handle it the right way."
There's a very real chance that, despite the preseason hype, New York falls to 0-1 to start the season. Without edge rusher Haason Reddick, the Jets defense will be tested by a San Francisco offense that makes nearly every opponent fodder on the way to league-leading campaigns.
Fortunately for Gang Green, a four-game stretch of the Tennessee Titans, New England Patriots, Denver Broncos, and Minnesota Vikings provide plenty of cushion should they fall on national television.
But success has a way of creating conflict, too, especially on a team with so many young stars that haven't seen the sights of the playoffs first-hand.
"Mike McCarthy came in years ago and said what seemed to be a wild statement at the time in 2006 and said ‘Our biggest difficulty is going to be handling success,'" Rodgers said. As the years went on I realized how important those words are."
Expecting smooth sailing for 17 games is nonsense. For one, when have the Jets ever seen any stretch of normalcy? Secondly, New York resides in a tough division and a conference loaded at quarterback. The team is essentially in a 16-team race for a mere chance at the playoffs, rather than the perceived lack of parity in the NFC.
With Rodgers returning, pressure mounting for the front office and coaching staff, and the sport's biggest market, the Jets are going to hear everything, for better or worse.
"If we win, the headline is going to be ‘We're Going to the Super Bowl,' if we lose it will be ‘Same Old Jets,'" Rodgers said. "So, I think we need to get away from some of those outside themes and trust the program. If it's good enough Week 1, it's good enough for the rest of the season."
"So we've gotta trust the process, be great competitors, show up, be professionals, and show out on the field and let the chips fall where they may."
Beating the 49ers would go a long way in taking on the adversity that has already been thrown their way this season and would give them more breathing room for when things inevitably go wrong and some point down the line.
Rodgers, in front of his hometown team, will be the centerpiece of that effort – on and off the field.
