“The Real Aaron Rodgers” saves his best for last with the Jets

FLORHAM PARK, NJ – Just two weeks ago, New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers was in such crisis that his short-term job security was in question for 24 hours. The “B” word – bench – was thrown around in the media until he received a public vote of confidence from interim coach Jeff Ulbrich.

Since then, Rodgers has delivered his two most productive days of the season and changed history. Suddenly, there is a surge in support from fans and some in the media for working with Rodgers again in 2025, declaring him their best “stop-gap” option at the position.

Things change quickly in the NFL. A player can move from one toast to the city in the time it takes to analyze an overwhelming defense.

“He’s struggled with injuries most of the season and as he gets healthier, you’re starting to see Aaron Rodgers – the real Aaron Rodgers,” Ulbrich said on Monday, adding that the 41-year-old is no longer fit be to defeat him quarterback can play at least two more seasons.

If Ulbrich had his way, Rodgers would be their quarterback in 2025, but we know Ulbrich probably won’t be there. The Jets, who fired coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas earlier this season, will have a new leadership team and the No. 1 decision will be Rodgers.

There are countless factors at play – his age, salary cap, roster composition and other quarterback options, not to mention how well the new regime is comfortable with Rodgers’ lightning rod personality.

Of course there is also the football side. Is his recent resurgence real or just a season-ending mirage?

In the last two games, a loss to the Miami Dolphins and a win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, Rodgers rushed for 628 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions, for a total QBR of 76.8 – sixth in the league. Against the Jaguars, he rushed for 45 yards, a team-high, more than a player in his 40s since Doug Flutie in 2003.

“I’m very proud of my minimal athleticism,” he said, “but that’s what I trained so hard for these nine months.”

For a change, his wheels are in order — three games in a row without appearing on the injury report. Early in the season, he battled a knee sprain (occurred in Week 4), a sprained ankle (Week 5), and a significant hamstring strain (Week 7).

In hindsight, perhaps he should have sat for a week or two to heal, but the Jets (4-10) were in deep slump and he refused to come out of the lineup. His mobility was apparently affected by the injuries, limiting his ability to improvise – once the hallmark of his game.

“Unfortunately, I went through a rough patch in the middle,” Rodgers said during his weekly spot on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Tuesday. “Other than that, I expect to play well when I’m out there, so there are no excuses. … But I fought.”

Sometimes teams fall into the trap of placing too much emphasis on end-of-season performances, especially teams that aren’t in the playoffs – meaning the pressure is off. There was no stress against the Jaguars (both teams were eliminated) and the conditions were ideal for a big pass day.

The weather in Jacksonville (73 degrees) was pleasant and the opponent ranked last in yards allowed. Rodgers was under little pressure as his average time to throw was 3.18 seconds – his longest time of the season, according to Next Gen Stats. He was only hit three times. He praised the offensive line for giving him “all day” in the pocket.

In a flawless pocket and in beautiful Florida weather (like the previous week in Miami), Rodgers managed 289 yards and three touchdowns. It was the kind of performance that was expected from the start, but he suffered through a three-game stretch (Weeks 5-7) with six interceptions and a three-game streak (Weeks 10-13) in which it was he failed to surpass 200 yards – – one of the worst balls of his legendary career.

Overall, Rodgers has eight interceptions, but only one in the last seven games.

“Some of the interceptions were bad decisions, but some of them were just tipped passes,” wide receiver Allen Lazard said. “Twice this year the D-lineman dropped and caught it. They fell with exactly the play they were looking for – the play of their career.”

He was referring to Andrew Van Ginkel of the Minnesota Vikings and Leonard Williams of the Seattle Seahawks, both of whom scored on long interception returns. Lazard wanted to say Rodgers was unlucky, but that would be an oversimplification.

After all, Rodgers ranks 32nd out of 34 qualified passers in completion percentage above expectations (a career low of -4.8%), and he struggles when under pressure. Despite an increase in overall efficiency, his completion rate under pressure in the last two games was just 37%, below the league average.

He will be challenged with cold-weather games against the Los Angeles Rams, Buffalo Bills and Dolphins in the coming weeks. The Rams have won three straight and the Bills have one of the stingiest defenses in the league.

Rodgers scoffed at the idea that he would audition for the next season. “Ridiculous,” he said recently. Publicly, Rodgers says he’s unsure about playing a 21st season. If he does that, his “first option” is the Jets, who may decide to go in a different direction.

The consensus within the organization over the past two months has been that he will not be asked to return for the final year of his contract. Who knows? Maybe he will be traded even though he would have to opt out because he has a no-trade clause. His future will be a hot topic over the next few months.

“If he stays healthy,” Ulbrich said, “he’s a guy I’d like to see play longer, just because he’s such a special player.”