If you’re a Packers fan and you just read this headline, you’re probably smiling. If you’re a Jets fan, you’re probably snarling. (Or worse.) If your rooting interests are focused elsewhere, you undoubtedly have an opinion about Aaron Rodgers, but those are typically all over the map.
But Packer fans know this narrative, and that’s the reason they’re smiling. A new team with a .500 record? Check. A sputtering offense that occasionally looks powerful? Double check. A running battle of comments with a beleaguered coach who just seems to be sick of it all? Yup, we’ve got that one, too.
The Aaron Rodgers narrative took a while to liftoff in New York
While the Green Bay version of the Aaron Rodgers narrative ultimately felt like a repetitive story that took forever to end, the Jets version took a while to achieve liftoff. This was mostly due to the quarterback’s Achilles tear on the fifth play of last year’s home opener, when the highlight was a flag-waving Rodgers charging out of the runway.
That was all basically all the charging Rodgers did that night, though, and that lowered the narrative to a whisper. The former superstar quarterback faded into the background as the Jets struggled through a Zach Wilson season, although Rodgers did make some noise about a possible early comeback if the Jets still had a chance to make the playoffs.