Mike Greenberg once offered to trade his pinky toe for Aaron Rodgers, now he thinks the New York Jets should dump their quarterback for no return.
Two weeks ago, Greenberg went on The Pat McAfee Show after the 2-4 Jets traded for Davante Adams and vociferously declared his favorite team was “back.” Two weeks and two losses later, Greenberg has pronounced the Aaron Rodgers-led 2024 New York Jets dead. And as the Jets await their looming seventh loss of the season Thursday night against the Houston Texans, Greenberg thinks the franchise should be focused on which players to sell ahead of the Election Day NFL trade deadline.
“They should absolutely trade Davante Adams,” Greenberg said on his Monday ESPN Radio show Greeny. “He wanted to go to a place where he can win. The Raiders compete way better than the Jets do…they should try and get something for him. They gotta try and sell off parts. And the reality is, what do you do with Rodgers? Does he just play the rest of the season? Do you just leave him out there…Does he want to be out there? I have no idea. It’s going to get so ugly.”
Greeny producer and contributor Paul Hembekides (Hembo) said it depends on Rodgers and whether the 40-year-old quarterback wants to try to run it back with the Jets next season. Hembo believes the Jets would be willing to let Rodgers come back, to which Greenberg basically said, no thanks.
“Let the record show, if that’s what they decide to do, they will not get any coach,” Greenberg said. “When the Jets move on from Jeff Ulbrich, which I think they did at about halftime yesterday, they will not be able to get anyone to coach their team. Who would take that job?”
History is certainly on Hembo’s side, with the Jets repeatedly toiling to placate Rodgers since acquiring him from the Green Bay Packers. “If Aaron Rodgers wants to return and continue playing football, you’re telling me right now they’re gonna tell him no?” Hembo asked. “Woody Johnson is gonna tell him no?”
“Yeah, I do,” Greenberg said. “I can’t see him wanting to come back. I mean, why would he want to? He’s a shell of himself. They’re embarrassing. It’s a disaster, I don’t see how he comes back next year. The vibes are so bad, I’d be stunned.”
It wasn’t that long ago that Rodgers envisioned playing until he was 45. And considering how bad this year has gone for Rodgers and the Jets, it’s entirely possible that the 40-year-old quarterback decides this isn’t how he wants to go out. But he might not have a choice.
Rodgers doesn’t look like a quarterback who has anything left. So while this isn’t how he wants to go out, Father Time might have other ideas. And if the Jets finally come to their senses and realize continuing to hand Rodgers the keys to their franchise is a mistake, there probably won’t be other teams knocking at his door.
[Greeny]
