Insider discusses if Aaron Rodgers has lost power with Jets

The Jets seemingly spent last offseason reviewing an alleged "wish list of free agents" Rodgers wanted the club to sign before he agreed to a trade from the Green Bay Packers to Gang Green. Some, such as wide receiver Allen Lazard, ultimately joined the Jets but then left much to be desired with their play after Rodgers went down with a torn Achilles four offensive snaps into the regular-season opener. 

This time around, the Jets have done well to bolster their offensive line and give Rodgers a weapon in former Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Mike Williams. It's unclear if Rodgers signed off on such moves before they were made. 

Ahead of the Easter holiday, New York acquired star pass-rusher Haason Reddick from the Philadelphia Eagles. 

"You can't give the keys over to [Rodgers] when he joined the Jets and then go, 'Oh wait. You tore your Achilles and recommended some really cr-ppy players to us that we signed for you. So now we're gonna take 'em back,'" Russini continued. "No, that's not part of the deal. He's still Aaron Rodgers." 

Much was said over the past year or so about Jets owner Woody Johnson giving Rodgers "a voice in any decisions or strategies that take place." It's widely believed Johnson retained head coach Robert Saleh and offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett because of Rodgers' influence. 

While Rodgers is coming off a serious injury and turns 41 years old in December, he recently made it known he wants to play another "two, three or four more years." He accepted a significant pay cut last summer to give the Jets financial relief so that the club could build around him through at least the upcoming season. 

"If he's gonna return from this injury healthy and he's gonna be able to play at a high level, the power is naturally just gonna be there," Russini added about Rodgers. Russini also noted that Rodgers had a positive impact on the locker room ahead of and during the 2023 season. 

Russini and Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic were responsible for the bombshell report published on Jan. 31 that detailed all that went wrong for the Jets this past season. Russini did say on Friday she "didn't see any heated arguments" between Johnson and Saleh at the NFL owners meetings following the midweek controversy sparked by NFL Media's Colleen Wolfe. 

One assumes Rodgers eventually will have plenty to say about the latest Johnson-Saleh story either before or after springtime workouts begin.