Aaron Rodgers went to a darkness retreat and thought he had made darkness his ally, but he merely adopted the dark. The New York Jets were born in it, molded by it. The last time they saw the light was in 1969. By now, it’s nothing but blinding.
That darkness has consumed all of the peace and wellbeing that Rodgers had accrued over countless ayahuasca retreats and offseason trips to Egypt. By Week 11, he appears to be nothing more than a dejected shell of the optimistic and rejuvenated quarterback that began the 2024 season.
The Jets were hoping to keep their postseason hopes alive against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 11 but ultimately fell short.
Even Aaron Rodgers couldn't save the Jets from their misery
The Jets have beaten down Rodgers so badly that he is being forced to remember why he even loves football. In his final postgame press conference before the team’s bye week, Rodgers was asked how he can even find the motivation to continue such a disappointing season.
“I’m in my 20th year,” Rodgers told reporters, per NBC Sports. “I’ve figured out a way to do this for a long time, so just got to remember why you fell in love with this game. This would definitely be a week to clear all of our heads and come back and stick together.”
New York stormed out of an early 13-point deficit to take an eight-point lead in the fourth quarter, but it didn’t last. Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson, just back from his benching, ran for a go-ahead score with 46 seconds left on the clock. Rodgers was unable to respond and took two sacks in the final three plays to seal the team’s fate with a 28-27 loss.
The Jets dropped to a 3-8 record, killing any remaining hope for a season that began with championship aspirations.
The 40-year-old quarterback has continued to find reasons to keep hope alive in his postgame press conference. This team, however, isn’t the Green Bay Packers. He can no longer tell everyone to “R-E-L-A-X,” and then run the table and defy the odds.
Despite his lackluster performance this season, Rodgers has stated that he’d like to return for one more shot at redemption in 2025. Whether or not he still feels that way after the season is yet to be determined. For now, he'll have to finish out a season that will become New York's 14th year without a postseason berth, the longest active playoff drought in the league.