Aaron Rodgers Sends Strong Message About Jets’ OC Nathaniel Hackett

The New York Jets offense has been struggling this season which has placed offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett in some hot water.

Aaron Rodgers boldly defended his coach during an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” this week saying, “I won MVP twice in this same offense so I’m a believer in the offense.”

“There are a lot of positions that need to play better. It is easy right now to throw it at the usual suspects Zach [Wilson] and Nathaniel [Hackett], but there is a lot of positions that need to play better.”

Rodgers Shares Advice on How to Fix Jets Offense Wilson had to take over for Rodgers four plays into the season and it hasn’t gone swimmingly.

According to Team Rankings, the Jets have a 22.73 percent touchdown conversion rate in the red zone. That is not only the lowest mark in the league, but the next closest team is 9.41 percentage points higher (Tennessee Titans).

There is a similarly large gap on the Jets’ third down conversion rate as well. Gang Green is ranked dead last converting on only 25 percent of its opportunities. The next closest team is 5.46 percentage points higher which is a significant leap.

“It’s tough because we are nine games in.
I think a lot of the issues that we are having are ones we’ve had for a lot of the season. He’s not efficient in the red zone, he’s not opportunistic on third down, so he’s pretty low in both categories,” Rodgers explained on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Tuesday, Nov. 14.

The Jets have the 30th-ranked offensive player this season, averaging 16 points per game. However, things have gotten worse over the last three weeks, averaging just 10.33 points per game. The Green and White have scored just one touchdown in their past three games.

Rodgers was candid about his offense’s problems: “You don’t win a lot of games unless you get the ball in the end zone.”

“There’s a lot of geniuses out there.” “Fix it.” It may seem daunting, but it’s actually quite simple,” Rogers explained. “When you watch this movie, you see what the problem is and what parts need to be solved. There are options, but you can’t get it done.”

Rodgers Return Timeline to the Jets in 2023

During the Sunday Night Football broadcast in Week 10, Melissa Stark of NBC shared Rodgers’ specific return timeline of “mid-December.”

Head coach Robert Saleh was asked about his thoughts on Rodgers’ return during a media release on Wednesday, November 15th.

“After all the doctors restore him to health, I’m sure there will be millions of patients. I don’t know about that, but if Aaron says he wants to play, he will play.” Saleh said.

One of Rodgers’ reservations about a potential return is that the Jets are debating whether they’re still there. They are currently 4-5 and on the outside of the AFC playoffs.

But with his two AFC East games scheduled over the next two weeks, they have everything in store. Gang Green has a chance to compete in the division race. That could ultimately open the door for Rodgers’ unlikely return.

Paul A. Esden Jr. covers the New York Jets for Heavy.com. A New York native, he is also the official PA voice of the Syracuse Strong Football Club and co-hosts Cumulus Media’s morning show, “The Manchild Show with Boy Green.” Before joining Heavy in 2021, Esden Jr. covered both national and New York sports for FanSided, Elite Sports NY and The Score 1260.