The NY Jets are being held hostage by an injured Aaron Rodgers
By Justin Fried
![NY Jets, Aaron Rodgers NY Jets, Aaron Rodgers](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_5606,h_3153,x_0,y_55/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/30/01hg2j5x9ytdw44ws72r.jpg)
The NY Jets are an unbridled disaster of an organization right now, and there are no signs that anything will improve in the coming weeks. Why? The man who was supposed to lead them out of their seemingly eternal despair, Aaron Rodgers, is holding them hostage.
Rodgers infamously tore his Achilles just four plays into his Jets career earlier this September. The hope was that a healthy Jets team with Rodgers could compete for the Super Bowl. Instead, they were left with the unfortunate reality of a Zach Wilson-led offense moving forward.
The results haven't been pretty. In fact, they've been historically bad — and Wilson (or Tim Boyle, for that matter) was far from the only issue.
Rodgers' absence has helped accentuate the many flaws of this Jets offense. Combine that with an unprecedented string of poor injury luck along the offensive line, and you have this — one of the worst offenses the NFL has seen in years.
The biggest problem? Rodgers is the reason they can't and won't make any wholesale changes.
The NY Jets' offense is a disaster and Aaron Rodgers deserves some blame
The Jets have tried making personnel changes. They benched Wilson and Allen Lazard this week. Randall Cobb was benched earlier in the year. C.J. Uzomah was demoted, and Michael Carter was outright released. None of it has changed anything.
The Jets may not have the personnel to put together a competent offensive unit, but perhaps the biggest issue the team has refused to address is the offensive coordinator position.
Nathaniel Hackett is a disaster of a play-caller. His offensive system barely functioned seven years ago. As we saw last year in Denver, he isn't capable of being an offensive play-caller in the year 2023. That much has become painfully clear.
Unfortunately, the reason his job status is currently safe is the same reason he has a job with the Jets in the first place. He's buddies with Rodgers. Rodgers and Hackett are close friends, and their relationship continues to be the only thing shielding the latter from accountability.
This is the reality of the Jets' current situation. Fans can scream for change all they want. The coaching staff can continue to preach accountability. Nothing is changing, and Hackett will not be held accountable. Rodgers ensures that.
As long as Rodgers wants Hackett on the team, he will remain a part of the organization. It's why the Jets are almost guaranteed to run it back with the same regime next season.
Robert Saleh and Joe Douglas should be back. It seems unlikely that Hackett is going anywhere, either. Heck, even many of Rodgers' former Green Bay teammates seem likely to return in some capacity.
The Jets thought they were acquiring one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history, but instead of QB Rodgers, the Jets have been stuck with GM Rodgers. This is his team now. What he says goes. And because of that, Hackett isn't going anywhere.
The Jets are being held hostage by the same man who was hailed as their franchise savior. It's the latest cruel twist in the never-ending cycle of Jets' misery.
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