New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers isn’t 100% according to interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich.
Throughout this season he has battled issues with his ankle, hamstring, knee, and hand which has limited him in practice. Ulbrich was asked if he is concerned with Rodgers being able to play on a short week. The Jets played on Sunday against the New England Patriots and their next game is up only a few short days later against the Houston Texans on Thursday Night Football.
“I might have had he come out of the game feeling worse than he had. This is fortunately one of the games he came out of no worse for the wear. Post-game was one of his better evaluations,” Ulbrich explained.
“Not at this point,” Ulbrich responded when asked if he would consider benching Rodgers “for a week or two” so he could get healthy.
Rodgers Gives Emphatic Statement on His Health Midway Through the Season
“I feel really good. I don’t know what it is about these Thursdays but I made it through the game without any issues and I feel much better,” Rodgers told the media on Tuesday, October 29.
After the Week 8 Patriots game, New England defensive lineman Davon Godchaux took several shots at Rodgers.
“Yeah he definitely don’t look the same,” Godchaux said. “You just don’t know if he could move back there. [Expletive], I can run him down & catch him. He don’t look mobile at all.”
Rodgers was unaware those comments were made when they were brought to his attention. “He is probably right,” Rodgers admitted. “I was hurting, but I feel better today.”
A media member incredulously asked how Rodgers could be so immobile and hurting in one game and days later be feeling so good.
“Yeah, that’s a good question. T-Mo [Thomas Morstead] gave me a little fountain of youth. He said he has been taking for a while — all legal of course — I’ve been kind of gassing him up that’s why I’ve been feeling a little bit better. He has been taking cayenne pepper and water. So he gave me some before the game and I felt pretty good. I’ve been kind of gassing him up and that’s why I’m feeling so good. I’m not sure how much that is playing a factor,” Rodgers said.
“Cayenne pepper and water can have several health benefits, including pain relief, according to various medical journals,” via ESPN’s Rich Cimini.
Rodgers said he didn’t move “a whole lot” in the Patriots game but “I expect to be able to do a lot more this week and I’ll be under center and hopefully be back to my faster-than-Godchaux speed.”
Jets Against the World Mentality for the Rest of 2024
The Jets sit at 2-6, in last place in the AFC East, and they rank No. 15 among 16 teams in the AFC conference standings.
Many folks have already written the epitaph on the Jets’ 2024 season. However, Rodgers appreciates the doubters. When asked what is his frame of mind sitting at 2-6, Rodgers shared a simple message, “Just gotta win baby.”
“Just smile, show up, trust, believe, and root us on as hard as you can. We need that noise, we’re trying to rectify this as quickly as possible, [and] I know this has been frustrating for everybody but there is still a lot of season left,” Rodgers explained.
For the Jets to have a chance of making the playoffs, they will likely have to go on a 9-0 or 8-1 run to close out the season. It all starts in Week 9 against the 6-2 Texans at home on Thursday Night Football.
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