The New York Jets are going to be featured prominently during the first three quarters of the upcoming season. Six of New York’s first 11 games are either on a Sunday night, Monday night or Thursday night. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers loves it.
The Jets’ quarterback was a guest this week with Adam Schein on SiriusXM and was asked about the heavy prime-time schedule this season for the Jets and whether the team “owed” the fans following his injury last season.
“We are must-watch TV and that’s pretty obvious,” Rodgers told Schein, via Awful Announcing. “Everybody knows that. Whether you love me or hate me. People want to see me play, they enjoy watching me play and we are a team to watch this year. Not surprising. Six primetime games in the first 11 or 12 weeks. I love it.
“As far as us owing people, that’s fine,” Rodgers said about the Jets “owing” the league and fans, a nod to comments made by NFL VP of Broadcast Planning Mike North. “I don’t care what anybody has to say about that. That’s great. It was sh*tty for me. It was rough for the league, me only playing a few plays last year. That’s going to be different this year. And what happens when we pay them back this year with six great primetime games. What are they gonna say next year?”
All the networks wanted a piece of the story of Rodgers’ return from his Achilles injury. As a result, the Jets have seven standalone games in the first 11 weeks, including the Week 5 trip to London. As a result, the Jets appear on every major network carrying the league (not counting the streaming services) except FOX in the first three months of the season.
The league is certainly banking on Rodgers staying healthy during the early part of the season with the early schedule in prime time, particularly two of their first three. The Jets open on Monday night against the San Francisco 49ers and have their home opener on a Thursday night in Week 3 against the New England Patriots.
The Jets’ six prime-time games tied with the 49ers and Dallas Cowboys for the most in the league in 2024.
