The New York Jets’ season is quickly unraveling, and new head coach Jeff Ulbrich has started to voice his frustrations with the team, specifically targeting quarterback Aaron Rodgers after a disappointing loss to the New England Patriots. Once at 2-1, the Jets have now dropped five straight games, sinking their playoff hopes as they fall to 2-6.
The latest blow came against the 1-6 Patriots, a team the Jets were expected to beat. Throughout the losing streak, coaches and players have publicly maintained that they were close to turning things around, but Ulbrich is taking a more critical approach, openly challenging the team’s lack of execution and accountability.
“This is a moment of darkness,” Ulbrich said after the game, expressing his frustration. He specifically called out Rodgers following a baffling moment in the game’s final seconds. With the Jets needing only a few more yards to reach field-goal range and potentially tie the game, Rodgers opted to walk off the field rather than hustle to the line, allowing the clock to run out and sealing the Jets’ loss.
“Every single human being out there has got to be better,” Ulbrich said. “Aaron’s got to be better, coaches got to be better.”
Rodgers had a statistically decent performance, throwing for 233 yards and two touchdowns, but his demeanor has come under fire. Fans and analysts alike have observed that he often appears detached on the field, lacking visible enthusiasm or accountability after mistakes. Jets fans, growing increasingly frustrated, are calling him out for what they perceive as a lack of leadership and commitment.
“It was indeed a bad look. AR totally looked like he gave up,” one fan remarked. Another chimed in, saying, “Rodgers makes my top 3 most hated in the game right now.” Others criticized his impact on the team, with one comment reading, “No respect for himself or his teammates; horrible looking at that loser.”
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With the Jets now needing an improbable 8-1 record in the remaining games to realistically have a shot at the playoffs, doubts about their prospects continue to mount.
The team has faced difficulty on both sides of the ball, and Rodgers’ high-profile presence has done little to boost their fortunes. To secure a typical playoff berth with 10 wins, the Jets would need to deliver near-perfect performances for the rest of the season—a feat that seems increasingly unlikely given their current trajectory.
As questions about Rodgers’ performance and his future with the Jets loom large, the team’s struggles are likely to provoke further scrutiny in the weeks ahead.
Ulbrich’s pointed comments signal a potential shift in accountability, as the Jets face a difficult road forward in an increasingly high-stakes season.
