The 4-5 Jets are looking at another lost season if their offensive issues don't get any better. Offensive issues as in: Zach Wilson.
Despite Wilson's demoralizing performances in the Jets' last two losses, head coach Robert Saleh hasn't given any indication he plans to bench the young quarterback. Tim Boyle and Trevor Siemian would be the team's backup options, but Saleh is still rolling with Wilson -- for now.
If and when Aaron Rodgers returns to the field, Saleh made it sound like he was giving Rodgers the final say over whether the veteran would suit up or not.
According to ESPN's Rich Cimini, Saleh called Aaron a "big boy" and a "grown man" and said "no one's going to know Aaron's body like Aaron knows his body." That's for sure, considering Rodgers' complicated history with medical professionals.
Rodgers will have to be cleared by doctors first, but once he does, the ball is in his court. Saleh said, "If Aaron says he wants to play, he's going to play."
Only Aaron Rodgers can save the Jets now
It sounds like it's Wilson, Rodgers, or bust for the Jets this season.
If Rodgers does manage to recover in time to play the final stretch of the Jets' regular season, it would be nothing short of a miracle. He recently told reporters (the ones that he trusts) that his goal is to return in mid-December.
At that point, Rodgers would only be roughly three months removed from the surgery he underwent for his torn Achilles. The fastest any NFL player has returned after the same injury is Cam Akers, who took five and a half months and was significantly younger than Rodgers at the time.
But like most things related to Aaron Rodgers, his recovery plan is unorthodox. He's different. He's out there. He would be defying near-impossible odds to get himself back on the field within three months. If Rodgers and his totally weird body can pull that off, then Saleh is all in on the 39-year-old replacing Wilson late in the season.
Assuming the Jets will still have a shot at playoff football in December, the fanbase is left with one slightly discomforting thought: Only Aaron Rodgers can save the Jets now.
