NY Jets news: Jamien Sherwood MVP, Sauce Gardner injury, Aaron Rodgers history

The NY Jets revealed their team awards on Friday, and a surprise player was named the team's MVP for the 2024 season. Linebacker Jamien Sherwood was the recipient of the Jets' Curtis Martin Award as voted on by his teammates.

Sherwood becomes the third linebacker to win the award in the last four years after Quincy Williams and C.J. Mosley received the honor in 2023 and 2021, respectively. This feat is made even more impressive when you realize Sherwood didn't even begin the year as a starter.

The former Auburn standout was thrust into the starting lineup following an injury to Mosley and would go on to be one of the team's most important players. A free agent in the offseason, Sherwood recently indicated that he would love to re-sign with the Jets.

Sherwood expressed his gratitude for the award on social media later in the day. "Through all the adversity this year more than blessed to have shared the field with those men," Sherwood posted on X (formerly Twitter). "I appreciate each one of them for this award. My brothers for life."

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Sauce Gardner injury update

The Jets released their final injury report ahead of their regular-season finale on Sunday, and only one player has been ruled out. That player is cornerback Sauce Gardner, whose season is officially over.

Gardner didn't practice all week as he's been dealing with a hamstring injury that limited him to fewer than 50 percent of snaps in each of the Jets' last two games. The team won't take any chances with their star cornerback in Week 18.

Gardner's 2024 season was undoubtedly a disappointment given the standards he set in his first two years, but reports of his demise have been premature. The two-time All-Pro has allowed the third-fewest catches (25) among all qualified cornerbacks this season.

The Jets will hope to see Gardner bounce back with a healthy and productive 2025 season. Expect to get an extended look at Brandin Echols, a possible 2025 starter if the Jets re-sign him, on Sunday.

Aaron Rodgers will make Jets history

The 2024 season hasn't gone according to plan for Aaron Rodgers and the Jets, but the future Hall of Fame quarterback can take solace in the fact that he accomplished a goal he set for himself in the summer.

Rodgers returned from a torn Achilles this year and vowed to do everything he could to play all 17 games. That's exactly what he will accomplish when he takes the field for possibly the final time on Sunday.

In fact, Rodgers will become the first Jets quarterback since Ryan Fitzpatrick in 2015 to start every game in a season. The Jets have actually had at least three different quarterbacks start a game for the team in four of the last five seasons, including each of the past three.

Rodgers may look like a shell of his former self at times, but his 2024 season has been one of the best by a Jets quarterback in years due in large part to the fact that he started every game. Sometimes the best ability is availability.

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