We don’t have the full NFL schedule yet but we do know one thing: Aaron Rodgers is getting no breaks at all in his first month with the New York Jets.
The first four games of the Jets’ schedule has been leaked and it’s pretty much a murderer’s row of tough teams. They open with the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football, then they play the Dallas Cowboys in Dallas, then they return home for back-to-back games against the New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs.
Those four teams have made the playoffs a combined seven times in the past two years. They have some of the best coaches, best quarterbacks and/or the most complete rosters in football.
FOX’s Colin Cowherd didn’t mince words, tweeting “Goodnight” to the Jets’ entire season after seeing the schedule. But the wider football world isn’t quite as convinced that the Jets’ goose is cooked:
Who is the Jets QB? I forgot. https://t.co/d8pfHbmXBY
— Tony Spumoni (@SamDarnoldShow) May 11, 2023
We still overrating Belichick? https://t.co/8H5MRgvQG7
— Hot Topic Satanist (@DLO87) May 11, 2023
It’s May https://t.co/f4Q2rdBpIC
— pat (@plo1021) May 11, 2023
I’ll come back to this https://t.co/V7peBmysBT
— Cam Thierry (@bigbanggthierry) May 11, 2023
Aaron Rodgers and the Jets were never going to get any “favors” from the NFL as far as scheduling goes simply because of how many tough matchups they were guaranteed to have.
They play the entire NFC East and AFC West along with their own stacked AFC East division twice. Those 14 games alone include seven playoff teams.
That being said, the Jets’ 2023 season will probably be decided in the first two months rather than the last two. If they can emerge from the first quarter of the season with a couple of wins as opposed to being winless, they’ll be in good shape down the stretch.
But nothing is going to come easy for Rodgers in 2023.