Robert Saleh put on a brave face, insisting that nothing has changed for the Jets despite the calamitous season-ending injury to quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
The Jets may not have the future Hall of Fame center under center any longer, but they still believe.
“I don’t know why people are trying to put an obituary onto our team’s name,” the coach said on Tuesday over Zoom, shortly after an MRI exam revealed that Rodgers had ruptured his left Achilles tendon in Monday night’s overtime win over the Bills. “Aaron is an unbelievable piece to this whole thing and we love him, but I think there’s 52 other guys in the locker room plus the 16 practice squad guys that believe that we can do a hell of a lot of good things here.”
Zach Wilson, the second overall draft pick in 2021 who was supposed to serve as Rodgers’ caddie, will be the starter moving forward.
Wilson helped rally the Jets from a 13-3 halftime deficit Monday to a thrilling victory. The defense keyed the win, limiting Buffalo to three points after halftime and forcing four Josh Allen turnovers, three on safety Jordan Whitehead interceptions.
Saleh understands the narrative around the Jets has changed without Rodgers — his arrival was a driving force in the offseason hype that they were Super Bowl contenders — but it won’t alter how this team views itself.
Particularly after the Jets were able to beat the three-time AFC East champion Bills.
The Jets, Saleh pointed out, were 5-2 last year with Wilson as the starter before they unraveled following season-ending injuries to running back Breece Hall and offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker.
“We have a championship-caliber defense, we’ve got great skill guys on the offensive side of the ball. Our O-line is going to continue to jell and get better, but we’re excited about our group,” Saleh said. “We’ve worked hard over the last couple of years — players, coaches, scouts, and [our] GM building a pretty cool organization. So, there’s still a lot of faith in the locker room and the things that we can still accomplish here. So, while the outside world can go ahead and write whatever story they want to write, there’s still the true story being written in this building.”
In his weekly interview with ESPN N.Y. Radio, star receiver Garrett Wilson echoed Saleh, saying the Jets believe in Zach Wilson and they believe in their ability to win without Rodgers. They need to turn the page.
“Things like this, when they happen, can easily derail a team’s season,” Garrett Wilson said. “More times than not, honestly, but knowing that and being conscious of that is step one. The reality of it is we got to move on. We have to. … We’re going to come out ready to play in his honor. For real.”
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