There was so much optimism from New York Jets bettors leading up to this NFL season after the team acquired Aaron Rodgers from the Green Bay Packers last April, but that optimism quickly turned into frustration just four offensive snaps into New York’s season on Monday night when Rodgers went down with what was initially thought to be an ankle injury.
One day later and after a MRI, Rodgers has been diagnosed with a torn left Achilles tendon, ending his inaugural season with the Jets and clouding his future in football entirely.
With their future Hall-of-Fame quarterback sidelined early in the first quarter, the Jets still rallied to beat a powerhouse Buffalo Bills squad by a score of 22-16 in overtime. But despite the win, their futures odds in several categories have been sent into a tailspin due to Rodgers’ season-ending injury.
Prior to the injury, New York was +1800 to win the Super Bowl at BetMGM. Now, that number has ballooned to +5000. The sportsbook is reporting that 6.1% of bets it has taken on this year’s Super Bowl winner are on Gang Green, the seventh-highest percentage at the book.
Over at FanDuel, the Jets now have +6500 odds (+2000 before the injury to Rodgers) to win the Super Bowl. The team’s division odds have lengthened from +280 to +550, and its odds to win the AFC are now a long +3100 from +1000. Additionally, New York went from a 3.5-point underdog to an 8.5-point underdog in its Week 2 matchup with the Dallas Cowboys after the injury was formally announced.
Just prior to the start of the new season, BetRivers reported that the Jets accounted for 7.9% of its Super Bowl futures by percentage of money at +1700 odds, which ranked fifth behind the Philadelphia Eagles, Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers, and Cincinnati Bengals. The sportsbook has moved New York’s odds to a lofty +6000 to win it all with Rodgers out.
DraftKings also moved the following Jets-related markets in the wake of the injury:
| Market | Pick | Before | Current |
|---|---|---|---|
| Super Bowl winner | NY Jets | +1600 | +6000 |
| AFC winner | NY Jets | +1100 | +3000 |
| AFC East winner | NY Jets | +270 | +600 |
| Offensive Player of the Year | Garrett Wilson | +2500 | +4500 |
| Offensive Player of the Year | Breece Hall | +3500 | +4000 |
| To make the playoffs – yes | NY Jets | -130 | +215 |
| To make the playoffs – no | NY Jets | +110 | -280 |
| Regular season win total | NY Jets | 9.5 | 8.5 |
Where do the Jets go from here?
The Jets had high hopes for Zach Wilson after selecting him second overall in the 2021 draft out of BYU. But he’s struggled mightily through 23 career NFL games over the past three seasons, posting a 71.2 passer rating while throwing for 4,162 yards, 16 touchdowns and 19 interceptions. Injuries have plagued his young career and he was even relegated to third-string quarterback at one point during the 2022 campaign.
In the short term, the Jets have no choice but to lean on the 24-year-old pivot, but there are some viable options via free agency or trade that could salvage the season and help lift the team into the postseason.
Could the Jets entice a former NFL great, like Tom Brady, Philip Rivers, or Matt Ryan to get back on the field and join the fold? Carson Wentz and Nick Foles are free agents. They could potentially help the team to a much lesser extent. The rumour mill will be buzzing with activity over the coming days and weeks as the search for Rodgers’ replacement ramps up.
What about making a trade for a quarterback? Jameis Winston, Case Keenum, Mitch Trubisky, Gardner Minshew, or Teddy Bridgewater are just some of the names that could likely be plucked away from their current teams for the right return.
The Jets have options. And they’re still a very good football team, even without Rodgers on the field. But their upcoming schedule won’t do them any favours. The Cowboys obliterated the New York Giants, 40-0, last week and will have home advantage this Sunday when they host the Jets. After that, the Jets will host Bill Belichick’s New England Patriots in Week 3 before the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs come to town a week later. Dates with the Denver Broncos (in the high altitude in Denver) and Philadelphia Eagles loom after that.
Time is of the essence for the 1-0 Jets. And luckily, they appear to have a reliable running game to fall back on. Breece Hall ran for 127 yards on just 10 carries in the season opener. Dalvin Cook, once one of the league’s most potent running backs with the Minnesota Vikings, also picked up 33 yards on the ground and an additional 26 through the air. This dynamic duo should slightly ease the pain of losing Rodgers and make life easier for Wilson, or a potential replacement quarterback. If the Jets can play pound-and-ground football and their defence rises to the occasion, they could still make some noise in the loaded AFC.
