The New York Jets are filled with many former Green Bay Packers. Through 11 games, all of their seasons have been a disaster.
Throughout the NFL offseason, the New York Jets continued to resemble the Green Bay Packers to the east.
One by one, several former Packers joined Aaron Rodgers in trading the green and gold for Jets Gotham green, including his one-time offensive coordinator. Most were close with the quarterback on and off the field.
They all wanted to be part of a franchise looking to end the NFL's longest playoff drought with a four-time MVP leading the way. But everything changed when Rodgers went down with a devastating Achilles injury just minutes into the first game of the season. As Rodgers tries to make an incredible comeback just a few months after surgery, the team has floundered to a 4-7 mark.
How have the other former Packers who joined him in New York fared? Like the Jets' season not very well.
Here's a closer look at all the ex-Packers players' seasons with the Jets.
Aaron Rodgers, quarterback
Everyone knows the story here.
The former Packers quarterback was injured on the Jets' fourth offensive play of the season and threw just one pass before tearing his Achilles, crushing Jets' fans' hearts. The soon-to-be 40-year-old had surgery immediately and began attacking rehab to get back on the field this season, something most assumed wasn't possible.
He has stayed in the spotlight through his weekly appearances on "The Pat McAfee Show," providing regular updates on his condition as well as his views on the NFL and the world off the field.
All along, Rodgers repeated he was looking to "push" the timeline in his recovery and prove the doubters wrong in his 19th NFL season that hasn't gone anywhere close to the script he had planned. But he has given fans glimpses of his progress and hope by attending many of the Jets' games, often donning a headset on the sidelines.
Rodgers is now back with the team on a full-time basis to continue his rehab and looks to begin practicing within the next couple of weeks. But with the Jets falling out of the playoff picture, will Rodgers still finish his remarkable comeback this season?
Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network said it's his understanding Rodgers is targeting the team's Dec. 24 game.
"He just needs to bring (the team) the doctor's note," said Rapoport, via his sources, on NFL GameDay on Sunday. "In other words, he needs to show he's not doing damage to himself being out there and if he can protect himself then he will practice and potentially will play."
Allen Lazard, wide receiver
Lazard signed with the Jets before the Rodgers trade was official. But when he put pen to paper on a four-year, $44 million deal, Lazard knew Rodgers was on his way.
The 27-year-old receiver said his relationship with Rodgers and reuniting with former Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett were the main reasons he wanted to join the Jets. It gave him "peace of mind."
But Zach Wilson, who first took over at quarterback, isn't Aaron Rodgers.
And that has resulted in a forgettable season for Lazard. He's on pace for career lows in receptions and total yards since becoming a full-time player, a year after he posted career highs in those categories in his fourth year with the Packers.
His season to date: 10 games, 20 receptions on 41 targets, 290 yards and one touchdown. It's gotten so bad for Lazard that he was a healthy scratch in last week's 34-13 loss to the Miami Dolphins.
Jets head coach Robert Saleh said after the game the organization still has faith in Lazard, but wanted the inactive designation to serve as essentially a wake-up call and "challenge" for the wide receiver.
"I don't think he's played up to his standard," Saleh said. "Obviously parts of his game have to get better."
Randall Cobb, wide receiver
Cobb is one of the Packers' most productive wide receivers in team history over his 10 years in Green Bay.
The 33-year-old, meanwhile, has been non-existent in the Jets' offense.
Like the other former Packers players who joined New York this offseason, he's there because of Rodgers. The two are extremely close. In fact, Cobb was brought back to Green Bay for his second stint with the franchise in 2021 to appease Rodgers.
It then made sense that the two would team together again, especially with the Packers turning to younger players on offense. He could provide veteran leadership in New York and be a comfort to Rodgers in the passing game. But Rodgers going down on the first series of the season all but ended Cobb's role in the offense. Cobb's season to date: three receptions, 20 yards and zero touchdowns.
Cobb hasn't had a catch since Week 4 on Oct. 1. He has been on the inactive list for games three times over the past month and missed another game with a shoulder injury.
After returning from that injury, Cobb was healthy but Saleh sat him in consecutive weeks as he turned to younger players who also can contribute on special teams. Cobb told New York media he had never been a healthy scratch in his career.
Tim Boyle, quarterback
Jets fans wanted a former Packers quarterback starting for them. It just wasn't Tim Boyle.
Boyle, 29, was a backup in Green Bay from 2018-20 after being an undrafted free agent out of UConn. Rodgers sang Boyle's praises.
He played with the Detroit Lions in 2021 (three starts, three touchdowns, six interceptions for a 63.5 rating) and Chicago Bears (one game, 2 for 8 passing, zero touchdowns, two interceptions for a 4.7 rating) in 2022.
Boyle signed with the Jets in April and later made the practice squad. He became Wilson's backup after Rodgers went on injured reserve after Week 1.
With Wilson, selected No. 2 overall in the 2021 NFL draft, ineffective throughout the season, Saleh turned to Boyle midway through the team's Week 11 32-6 loss to the Buffalo Bills, looking for some kind of spark on offense.
Boyle got the started for the Jets last week and things didn't go much better. He was 27 for 38 for 179 yards, averaging just 4.9 yards per completion, with one touchdown and two interceptions, one of which was a Hail Mary attempt returned for a touchdown in an unthinkable play to end the first half. He was sacked seven times.
Saleh said Boyle remains the team's starting quarterback, but his status moving forward likely depends on if Rodgers returns at any point.
Billy Turner, offensive tackle
Turner played three seasons on Green Bay's offensive line.
He went to Denver for a year in 2022 but joined the Jets likely hoping to be part of a solution to the team's porous offensive line. That hasn't happened. The 30-year-old guard is buried on the offensive line depth chart.
He was inactive for two of the last team's last three games.
Adrian Amos, safety
Amos was a reliable veteran for the Packers in his four seasons with Green Bay's secondary. He started every game during his time with the Packers and recorded a career-high 102 tackles in 2022.
But the Packers let the 30-year-old Amos leave in free agency, instead opting for holdovers Darnell Savage and Rudy Ford, along with newcomer Jonathan Owens. The Packers have faced significant injuries to that unit this season, sans Owens, and Amos hasn't produced like he did with the Packers.
When Amos signed a one-year deal worth up to a reported $4 million with the Jets, he talked about New York being the "right fit."
He has still played every game for a Jets defense that continues to fight hard and is among the best units in fewest passing yards allowed. But Amos is not on the first-team depth chart at safety, playing behind Jordan Whitehead and Tony Adams.
As a result, Amos has just 19 tackles, one pass deflection, and zero interceptions or forced fumbles this season. In four seasons in Green Bay, Amos had seven interceptions and averaged 90.5 total tackles per year.
Nathaniel Hackett, offensive coordinator
It was clear Hackett was being brought to New York for Rodgers.
Rodgers has raved for years about Hackett, who served as the Packers' offensive coordinator from 2019-21 before getting his first head coaching job with the Denver Broncos in 2022.
Without Rodgers, it's gone poorly for Hackett.
Some speculated at the time whether Rodgers would join Hackett in Denver, which, of course, didn't happen. Hackett lasted just 15 games with the Broncos in 2021. He was fired with the team 4-11 and the last-ranked scoring offense in the NFL.
Looking for a fresh start in his reunion with Rodgers, the partnership on the field lasted just one possession. Without Rodgers, the Jets' offense has been a disaster and the quarterback situation a mess like it was in 2022.
Their 10 total offensive touchdowns are the fewest in the NFL and they're tied for last in both rushing and receiving touchdowns. New York's 14.8 points per game are third fewest in the NFL.
Despite all of this, Saleh continues to support Hackett and said "there's no consideration" in changing play callers.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Aaron Rodgers' injury among horrible seasons for ex-Packers with Jets
