In Adding Aaron Rodgers, ‘Jets Get a Jedi’

Rodgers comes to the Jets after 18 seasons playing in northeastern Wisconsin and after nabbing back-to-back MVP awards, in the 2020 and 2021 seasons. Last season, which some people said was a down season, Rodgers still threw for 3,695 yards (a 64.6% completion rate), 26 TDs and 12 INTs — while playing with a hand injury. Those numbers would equal or surpass the stats of nearly any quarterback in Jets history.

“The Jets get a jedi,” Scott said. “They get a guy who’s so sophisticated, so advanced as a quarterback and into the nuances of playing the position. He’s going to catapult them to top of the division. [The Jets now have] more than a fighter’s chance to win the division. It makes them formidable, a true contender in the division.

“He’s cerebral. You think about the guys who have played late in their careers and he’s flourished. He’s one of them. He knows all the tricks, he can smoke you out. He’s one of the most athletic quarterbacks under center. He beats you with his mind and body. He still has a lot more juice in his body. He’s a mobile quarterback who may have lost a step, but he’s still more mobile than your typical drop-back quarterback. He can hurt you in multiple ways. He doesn’t turn the ball over.”

As Rodgers joins the Jets he will encounter some familiar faces, such as offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, who he worked with in Green Bay, and wide receiver Allen Lazard. In addition, Jets GM Joe Douglas, through past drafts and the coming draft, has deftly rebuilt the roster with young and talented players like offensive and defensive rookies of the year (WR Garrett Wilson and CB Sauce Gardner) and RB Breece Hall. Douglas has added depth on the OL by signing Trystan Colon and Wes Schweitzer (while getting back from injury Duane Brown, Mekhi Becton, Max Mitchell and Alijah Vera-Tucker). The team has also re-signed veteran center Connor McGovern.

“The Jets are going for it right now, not rebuilding, not waiting for a young quarterback to develop,”…