It was a raucous atmosphere at MetLife Stadium on Monday night when Aaron Rodgers ran onto the field for his debut with the New York Jets. Just moments later, a nightmare scenario unfolded. Rodgers went down with what looked like a potentially serious injury, and he was unable to return to the game.
The Jets managed to pull out a stirring overtime win over the Buffalo Bills on a punt return TD, but the somber mood remained. On Tuesday, the news confirmed Jets fans’ worst fears: Rodgers will miss the 2023-24 NFL season with a torn Achilles. After entering the season generating Super Bowl buzz, New York’s odds have taken a substantial hit.
Latest New York Jets odds
| Jets to win the Super Bowl | |
| Jets to win the AFC | |
| Jets to win the AFC East | |
| Jets to make the playoffs |
Futures odds quickly shift after Rodgers injury
Heading into Week 1, the Jets were in seventh on the Super Bowl futures board with odds of +1800, marking them as a perceived contender. The offseason acquisitions of Rodgers and Dalvin Cook generated headlines, while observers expected the defense to be among the league’s best.
Following the Rodgers injury, the number has dropped to . New York closed out last season at 7-10 while riding a six-game losing streak. Inefficient play at QB was one of the big catalysts for the poor finish. It’s the same story in odds to win the conference and division.
The Jets were fourth in AFC playoff odds at the start of the campaign and have since tumbled down the list. For the AFC East division race, New York opened as the second option behind the Bills, but it is now third behind the Dolphins. Meanwhile, the season-long win total line was at 9.5 and has now dropped to 8.5 at several online sportsbooks.
Who takes over at QB for the Jets?
Zach Wilson is now QB1 in New York. He finished the game on Monday night, completing 14 of 21 for 140 yards, one TD, and one INT. While the rumor mill has started to run rampant following the news, head coach Robert Saleh noted in his postgame news conference that Wilson was “the guy” moving forward.
Wilson entered his third pro season with the expectation that he would be able to gain more seasoning with Rodgers at the helm. He had a challenging 2022-23 campaign, throwing for six touchdowns and seven picks over seven games. New York was hoping for an upgrade by trading for Rodgers at the cost of multiple NFL draft picks.
Can the Jets still make the playoffs without Rodgers?
The New York defense did its part in the win over the Bills. The team clearly has talent in place, including fellow Rookie of the Year award winners Garrett Wilson and Ahmad Gardner. There’s still some potential for the team to stay in the playoff hunt, but the task becomes more daunting without Rodgers.
Looking ahead to Week 2, the Jets are on the road to face the Dallas Cowboys, a team that picked up an opening week 40-0 road win over the New York Giants. The Jets are underdogs in that game. For perspective, in advance of the Rodgers injury, early lines at DraftKings Sportsbook had the Cowboys as just -3.5 favorites.
Following that matchup, New York is home for the next two versus the rival Patriots and defending champion Chiefs. Early betting odds have the club as an underdog in both contests: versus New England and against Kansas City.
By that point, we’ll likely have a better sense of where things stand for the Jets. If the club can build some momentum off its overtime win over the Bills and get serviceable play out of Wilson under center, the situation may not be so dire. A lengthy losing streak, however, would place the club even further off the pace.
