The New York Jets have a divisional matchup with the Buffalo Bills in Week 17 at Highmark Stadium, and there seems to be a bit of a question as to who’ll be under center for them when they square off against their AFC East rival. On Tuesday, interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich told reporters that Aaron Rodgers is dealing with a knee injury he suffered during Sunday’s loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
Ulbrich left Rodgers’ status for the game up in the air but did give an optimistic view of the situation, saying he’s hopeful he’ll be ready to go. “In all honesty, it’s just too early to tell,” Ulbrich said. “If I’m a betting man, I’m betting on Aaron Rodgers to play.”
Rodgers made his status a lot more clear Tuesday, telling reporters he’s “going to play” Sunday despite dealing with an MCL issue. He added his knee “feels pretty good,” and that he’s dealt with worse before.
When pressed about Rodgers’ status and whether there’s genuine concern he’d be sidelined, Ulbrich said, “With him, probably not in all honesty. The guy’s played through … he does whatever it takes to get on the field on Sunday. I’d anticipate him trying to do the same thing this week.”
The Jets are planning to hold an extended walkthrough practice on Tuesday before ramping things up later in the week, which is when Rodgers’ status should come into better focus.
“The fact that we’re in walkthrough helps for today,” Ulbrich said. “Then we’ll have more information Thursday when we go full speed, and we’ll see where he’s at.”
After missing essentially all of last season due to a torn Achilles, Rodgers has been sturdy throughout the 2024 campaign, paying in 98.6% of the offensive snaps (second-most on the team). Rodgers didn’t miss a snap in Sunday’s defeat, which is a positive indication of his prospects to play this week. If he is unable to go, the Jets have Tyrod Taylor as the primary backup quarterback.
