Aaron Rodgers-to-Jets spices up possibilities for Cowboys’ 2023 home schedule
Aaron Rodgers may be done with the Packers, but he’s likely to remain a thorn in the Cowboys’ side for the immediate future, even playing in the AFC East.
The Green Bay quarterback confirmed on Wednesday that he intends to play for the Jets in 2023 and that it’s simply a matter of the two clubs working out trade details.
The Cowboys already know they’ll host the Jets at AT&T Stadium for one of their eight home dates in the upcoming regular season, and it’s the detail of when that will happen that’s bound to keep Dallas fans guessing until the schedule is released.
There are, of course, plenty of tantalizing possibilities for what will be the 13th all-time meeting (postseason included) between Rodgers and the Cowboys.
Of course, there’s the chance that a Mike McCarthy/Cowboys-Rodgers tilt could kick off the regular season slate for both teams with a Week 1 meeting, perhaps even as the Sunday night or Monday night opener.
If the Cowboys do not face the four-time league MVP on opening weekend, the eagerly-anticipated game would certainly have the makings of a slam-dunk primetime matchup.
But then again…
The Cowboys’ traditional Thanksgiving Day game could also be an option. Often the most-watched contest of the entire NFL season, the Cowboys’ usual late-afternoon Turkey Day timeslot may not need the extra gravy of a Rodgers rematch to be a ratings blockbuster, but it would certainly make for must-see TV (especially if both teams are still in the playoff hunt come late November).
Dallas already has nine marquee matchups against playoff squads- the 49ers, Bills, Dolphins, Seahawks, and Chargers, as well as their normal two-game sets with the Eagles and Giants- on the 2023 schedule.
But an otherwise ho-hum interconference date with the Jets suddenly becomes an unexpected clash of titans the moment a Rodgers trade becomes official.
Rodgers currently holds an 8-3 advantage in the series; he led the Packers to a 31-28 overtime win over Dallas when the two teams last met at Lambeau Field in Week 10 of 2022. Also of note, Rodgers won the only Super Bowl of his career at AT&T Stadium.
