The New York Jets are going all-in in 2024, as evidenced by the free agents they signed. And they have to. Nevertheless, the structure is on shaky ground. Or rather: a shaky Achilles tendon.

It was a whole four snaps. That’s how long Aaron Rodgers’ 2023 season with the New York Jets lasted before his hamstring went bye-bye on a sack by Leonard Floyd (then Buffalo Bills).

The Jets already switched into win-now mode last season. Logically, otherwise you wouldn’t get a future Hall of Famer in the late fall of his career.

The final ranking in the AFC East shows that the squad was a solid one. There, the Jets improved from fourth to third place. Almost all of the games won were not won because of the quarterback, but in spite of the quarterback.

And now? With Tyron Smith in the offensive line and Mike Williams at the receiver position, among others, the Jets have made improvements at the positions where action was still needed. “Super Bowl or Bust” is written boldly on the New Yorkers’ season in permanent marker that won’t wash off. Loosely translated: If it’s not about trophies, this season is a failure. The one-year contracts of the two mentioned could hardly document this better.

So it’s all set now, isn’t it? Almost. Because suddenly the Jets’ biggest question mark is what was the biggest exclamation point about a year ago: quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Achilles tendon injuries don’t just go away

Of course, the athletic quality of Rodgers is undeniable. As I said, he’s a future member of the Hall of Fame. You don’t get this honor as a gift, you have to earn it with outstanding athletic achievements.

However, as mentioned, Rodgers suffered a torn Achilles tendon in his Jets debut. That’s not a normal ligament tear that you just put away. Many sportsmen’s careers have already been ruined by it. And they were much younger than Rodgers, who turned 40 at the beginning of December.

Of course you wouldn’t wish that on anyone, it can only be in the interest of every football fan to see an Aaron Rodgers back on the field at 100 percent performance.

Still, the foundation on which the Jets are planning their all-or-nothing season is more than fragile.

How strong will Rodgers come back?

Another component: Even if the former Green Bay Packers playmaker comes back at 100 percent, his recent performances have been on the decline.

In his last seven games, he has scored nine touchdowns and five interceptions and has never had a passer rating of over 100, let alone a 300-yard game. He didn’t manage that in the entire 2022 season! It is true that “AR12” played with an injured thumb for a long time. But that should not be an excuse, especially as he is unlikely to march through this season without injury.

Will Rodgers be able to match his pre-2022 level? Possibly, but relying on that is just one thing: negligent

New York Jets: Saleh and Douglas’ last straw

Then again, what choice do the Jets’ decision-makers have? Probably none. Ending the Aaron Rodgers project before it’s started would not only be a shame, but a hell of a lot of money for no serious offense.

Speaking of decision-makers, this season is a shot in the arm for them if they want to keep their jobs. Head coach Robert Saleh has lost a whopping 33 of 51 games as the NFL’s head coach. A weaker record in the NFL is hard to find among current coaches who have been there longer than a year.

The same goes for general manager Joe Douglas. He paid a lot for the trade with the Packers and now results are needed.

If the season is a failure – and anything that doesn’t make it past the first round of the playoffs would probably be categorized as such – Saleh, Douglas and Rodgers will probably all take their hats off.

And only one would do it voluntarily