Sep 11, 2023; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) is injured after a sack by Buffalo Bills defensive end Leonard Floyd (not pictured) during the first quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
By all accounts, Aaron Rodgers has recovered from the ruptured Achilles tendon that kept him on the sidelines last season, and the 40-year-old is back in attendance for NY Jets OTAs. NFL “Experts” believe that a healthy Rodgers could provide the New York Jets with the missing piece to pull this offense together. What last year proved is that Nathaniel Hackett only seems to be a good offensive coordinator when Aaron is on the field.
With no disrespect to the new second quarterback, Tyrod Taylor, Rodgers is pivotal to The Jets hopes of making the playoffs in the upcoming season, with the betting odds for the AFC East Division reflecting this. These odds, drawn from the best offshore sportsbooks accessible from all around the world
, suggest they have a chance of winning the division this year.According to Sports Betting Expert Alan Kendall, an estimated $63 billion was wagered at these offshore betting sites last year, and NFL bets contribute considerably to this figure, with the American Gaming Association reporting an estimated $23.1 billion on Super Bowl bets this year. So, what are bookmakers saying about this season? Most give the Buffalo Bills the shortest odds for an AFC East victory, but at +160, the bookmakers’ favorite is far from a shoo-in for the top spot. The odds on offer for the Miami Dolphins (+200) and The Jets (+220) mean the division could be the most hotly-contested in the NFL in 2024/25.
The other team, the New England Patriots (+2400), isn’t expected to feature. From a purely gambling perspective though, sports bettors should be encouraged to back The Jets in the upcoming campaign, as picking an AFC East winner won’t be easy at this stage.
Ironically, the last time the New York Jets won the AFC East Division in 2002, the team had the same +220 preseason odds. Much will depend on Rodgers staying fit and in form if the New York team is to successfully negotiate the upcoming regular season for the first time since 2010 and break the longest postseason drought in NFL history.
The four-time NFL MVP, especially with the New York franchise’s new additions’ assistance, has the experience and drive to get the Jets back to the playoffs. If Rodgers can lead the Jets to the postseason in 2024/25 and make some noise while doing so, fans will remember him as one of the best quarterbacks to play for the New York Jets.
As things stand, Aaron Rodgers has a lot of work to do before being considered to be an impact player in New York. After only 4 plays last year, the bar is set pretty low. With Joe Namath being the only QB to win the Super Bowl here, that is the high water mark the team is aiming for.
Since then, losses in the AFC Championship game against The Dolphins in the early 80’s, while a Vinny Testaverde-led Jets team fell to the Denver Broncos in 1998.
The Jets experienced further heartbreak in the AFC Divisional Championship in 2009 and 2010 when the Indianapolis Colts and the Pittsburgh Steelers reached Super Bowls at the New York franchise’s expense. Mark Sanchez couldn’t get it done either season, despite benefitting from Revis Island.
If Aaron Rodgers, a Super Bowl champion himself with the Green Bay Packers in 2011, can lead the Jets to the postseason and then do the unthinkable by going one better than Todd, Testaverde, and Sanchez, he will entrench himself in Jets history alongside the great “Broadway” Joe Namath. Let’s dare to dream, that is what the offseason is all about as a fan.