Jaguars take not-so-subtle jab at Aaron Rodgers in 2024 schedule release
The Jacksonville Jaguars announced their 2024 schedule with a sweet X-Men-theme video that's full of cultural references and easter eggs. Teams usually use these releases to poke fun at opponents and players. The Jags, for their part, wasted no time to take a jab at New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
The video shows Jacksonville's opponents and when they'll face them. At the 1:05 mark, the Jets popped up, with a character holding a sign that says "My own research." Rogers infamously said that phrase during the Covid-19 pandemic and later when he claimed that the AIDS disease was created by the US government.
Make no mistake, there's nothing wrong with being curious and informed, but COVID-19 and AIDS are beyond Rodger's area of expertise, which is why his claims fall apart when they're exposed to rigorous testing. It's also worth noting that the quarterback has a right to share his beliefs, even if they're factually incorrect, but he needs to embrace the criticism that comes with it.
Rodgers said early in 2024 that he was being canceled for sharing his opinions. In reality, he was being criticized for comments he had made. Despite his claims, he still has a platform and gets plenty of people to pay attention to what he has to say, even if it's not fact-based.
The Jaguars will get to face Aaron Rodgers for the first time since 2020
It's easy to forget that Aaron Rodgers was one of the best, if not the best, quarterbacks in the league in the 2010s. Had he been hyper-focused and worked on being the greatest, like Tom Brady did, it wouldn't even be a debate.
Instead, Rodgers has spent the latter part of his career complaining about his teammates not working hard enough and not getting support from the Green Bay Packers front office. But even then, he was still darn good.
Back in 2020, Rodgers, still with the Packers, had no trouble disposing of the Jaguars with ease. It will be interesting to see what kind of narrative surrounds him ahead of Week 15. Will the four-time MVP be fully recovered from the Achilles tear he suffered in the 2023 opener? Will he be struggling? One thing he cannot claim is that he doesn't have enough weapons.
New York signed Mike Williams in the offseason. A former first-round pick, Williams will join Garrett Wison to give Rodgers a 1-2 punch at receiver. On top of that, tight end Tyler Conklin has low-key become one of the most reliable players on the Jets' offense. Add the fact that they got Rodgers a blindside protector in Tyron Smith, and Rodgers could do some serious damage.
The truth is that the Jacksonville Jaguars will have their work cut out against the Jets. Not only will they have to slow down their offense but they'll need to figure out how to out-scheme their formidable defense. Hopefully, Rodgers will be focused on football then, so the conversation revolves around the matchup.