Last season did not go the way the New York Jets wanted. Just four snaps into the year, Aaron Rodgers went down with a torn Achilles, and what ensued could be described as something like a disaster. Zach Wilson made the majority of starts under center, and in combination with an offensive line that crumbled under the weight of multiple injuries, his play undermined any semblance of an offensive plan the Jets might have had.
But the Jets also seemingly did not have a good plan, and did not put Wilson in any kind of position to succeed, if he was capable of doing so. Throughout the season and into the offseason, much of the blame for that was deservingly laid at the feet of offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. It's his job to get the best out of the talent on hand, and he didn't do it.
Of course, Hackett is in the job in the first place primarily due to his relationship with Rodgers, and Rodgers wasn't out there. Heading into Year 2 as the OC, Hackett still has the strong backing of his quarterback.
"You should trust me and I trust Nathaniel," Rodgers said during a radio interview. "So, to me, that's end of story. There's been a lot of BS that's been said out there. There's a lot of things that have gone on the last couple years that he's dealt with that I think he's handled very professionally. And at the end of the day, I think you gotta trust his and my working relationship and the conversations that we have. You gotta trust the staff."
Whether or not people should trust Rodgers is up for debate. He was the one who wanted Hackett to run the offense. But he also wanted Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb in New York, and they each failed to live up to expectations, whether high (Lazard, after his free agent contract) or low (Cobb). Football players are not also general managers for good reasons, but the Jets have allowed Rodgers to act something like one since last offseason. We'll see if that actually pays off once he gets back on the field.
