Nathan Rourke Waived by Jacksonville Jaguars

[Toppy Vann]

Aaron Rodgers 39 year old does his Achilles 4 plays in and is done for the year and Justin Dunk was out yesterday calling for them to acquire Nathan Rourke.

I see even Farhan L is tweeting a similar thought.

I don't see the logic here for the Jets to do that as the season is underway, they won last night and a new QB will need to learn their system.

I'm not sure but I'd see Chris Streveler who was in Winnipeg for their last game coming back before a Rourke deal made sense for the Jets.

But why would the Jags who have just 3 QBs now give up Rourke now as their starter while much younger is still at risk for a fluke injury like Rodgers just suffered. Back in March the Jags waived QB EJ Perry.


This article doesn't mention Nathan Rourke or Streveler but notes Joe Flacco is out there and he played there.

Also the back up to now starter Zach Wilson is a QB who was with Green Bay and crossed paths with the OC there.

https://www.northjersey.com/story/sport ... 830677007/

[B.C.FAN]

I agree that Streveler would be the most logical signing for the Jets. He was released and reached an injury settlement with the team last month after hurting his right thumb in preseason but he has reportedly told his agent that he is available to sign in the NFL again.

[Hambone]

Agreed Toppy. Streveler is the easy call as he already knows the offense. That gives him about a 4 week head start on anybody new to the club and scheme. They need to decide a direction first.

1) are they looking for a vet to push and maybe take over from Wilson ASAP?
2) are they going with Wilson as #1 the rest of the way regardless and looking for a vet purely for insurance?
3) are they content to run with Wilson and Boyle and just looking for somebody to fill that emergency #3 spot?
4) are they expecting Rodgers back next year making any moves stop-gap for this year?

Another thing that muddies the waters is any free agent could immediately be placed on the PR to give him time to get up to speed on the offense. Boyle will get promoted from PR to Wilson's backup. Rourke would have to go into the 53 which means waiving and possibly losing somebody to make room.

[South Pender]

I'm betting that Hambone's Option #1 is what the Jets will go with. Despite his high draft status (#2 overall in the 2021 NFL draft), Zach Wilson has been a major disappointment for the Jets, having had just a terrible 2022 season. I doubt that the team will be comfortable trusting him to be the guy to get them to the season everyone expected. The team’s plan for this season was to have Wilson learn how to play QB in the NFL from Aaron Rodgers. My guess is that they will bring in a veteran free agent with starting experience. Three possibilities would be Joe Flacco (with his experience with the Jets), Carson Wentz, and Colt McCoy. But there are other possibilities out there.

[Toppy Vann]

I'm betting that Hambone's Option #1 is what the Jets will go with. Despite his high draft status (#2 overall in the 2021 NFL draft), Zach Wilson has been a major disappointment for the Jets, having had just a terrible 2022 season. I doubt that the team will be comfortable trusting him to be the guy to get them to the season everyone expected. The team’s plan for this season was to have Wilson learn how to play QB in the NFL from Aaron Rodgers. My guess is that they will bring in a veteran free agent with starting experience. Three possibilities would be Joe Flacco (with his experience with the Jets), Carson Wentz, and Colt McCoy. But there are other possibilities out there.

It's a lot like Jake Dolegala after Mason Fine went down to injury. Riders HC showed Dolegala the love and he's responded quite well.
This week the Jets need to keep Zach Wilson feeling the love as a guy with more on his mind than preparing for the next game ahead of him will suck if he's feeling unsupported and that the team will toss him to the sidelines when they get the guy they actually might love.

Streveler might be wise if he knows the system and this guy would be happy as no. 2 and spotting a starter as he's looking long-term at that pension cheque. He'd not upset the starter and not be happy as a no. 2.

These Streveler comments were in Winnipeg pre-Banjo Bowl where he and g/f were last week:

“I’m sure there’s going to be a lot of questions about the timing of me being here, being a free agent,” he said. “But I’m playing in the NFL this year. I’m waiting that out. I do believe there’s going to be something for me. So I’m going to ride this year out down there and see what happens.”

https://winnipegsun.com/sports/football ... fair-began

These SI headlines are so disingenuous they ought to be media standard violations as you read the story and they're not going after them.
Kaepernik's folks reached out to Jets apparently.

Jets Make Decision on Pursuing Colin Kaepernick After Aaron Rodgers Injury, per Report
JEFF SMITH4 HOURS AGO

Jets Make Decision on Reaching Out to Tom Brady as Aaron Rodgers Injury Replacement, per Report
JEFF SMITH6 HOURS AGO

The stories include the facts too:

This doesn’t come as a major surprise when factoring in comments made by Saleh on Tuesday which fully endorsed Zach Wilson as the team’s starting quarterback.

“I want to make it very clear, Zach's our quarterback. We have a lot of faith in Zach. We’re rolling with Zach and excited for him,” Saleh told reporters.

Not only that, but Saleh was very clear there’d be no “competition” at quarterback when speaking with reporters.

“Under no circumstances is any of this a competition. This is Zach [Wilson]’s team and we’re rolling with Zach,” Saleh said.

[Belize City Lion]

Once again Rourke is getting screwed by the politics of the NFL. The Jets management has no choice but to “roll with Zach” because they spent the #2 overall pick on him in 2021. If the Jets braintrust admits made a mistake they will be out of work just as quickly as Zach Willson. Plucking Rourke from the Jags PR would be a clear signal that there is an open competition for QB1. The Jets don’t want that optic. Not yet. Tim Boyle has been moved to the active roster and will dress as QB2. For now. The Jets can still save some face by signing a free agent veteran QB (or trading for one) to back up and “mentor” Wilson.

There are 16 games left on the Jets schedule. We could still see Rourke wind up in NY, but it won’t happen until Zach Wilson is back on the bench first.

[DanoT]

It takes a QB a considerable amount of time to learn and be comfortable running a new Offense with a new team. For that reason, I don't expect the Jets to be very eager to use up a spot on the 53 man roster with Rourke. Chris Strevler, who was with the Jets earlier this year would be a much better choice.

[Hambone]

Once again Rourke is getting screwed by the politics of the NFL. The Jets management has no choice but to “roll with Zach” because they spent the #2 overall pick on him in 2021. If the Jets braintrust admits made a mistake they will be out of work just as quickly as Zach Willson. Plucking Rourke from the Jags PR would be a clear signal that there is an open competition for QB1. The Jets don’t want that optic. Not yet. Tim Boyle has been moved to the active roster and will dress as QB2. For now. The Jets can still save some face by signing a free agent veteran QB (or trading for one) to back up and “mentor” Wilson.

There are 16 games left on the Jets schedule. We could still see Rourke wind up in NY, but it won’t happen until Zach Wilson is back on the bench first.

"Politics" or reality? At this point NYJ likely have to work on the assumption Rodgers will be back next year meaning any addition who can compete with Wilson is a stop-gap. An experienced NFL veteran would be a quicker study to pick up the offense and terminology than a newcomer to the league. It is kind of funny all the different opinions out in the media about who the Jets are looking at. Seems like for every opinion advocating say a Nick Foles there is on saying no way should they consider Foles. In terms.of mentorship somebody, maybe McAfee or somebody on his show, opined that Wilson should be much better thanks in large part to working with and learning from Rodgers this offseason and thru training camp. Even while injured Rodgers can still continue to mentor him off the field, in the QB room etc. At only 24 and with only 22 games under his belt over 2 seasons IMO it's far too early for NYJ to write him off as a bust.

[B.C.FAN]

Rodgers is talking bravely about possibly returning for the playoffs after having innovative “speed bridge” surgery on Wednesday. That could influence whatever decision the Jets make in the interim.

https://www.nfl.com/news/jets-qb-aaron- ... ve-surgery

[Toppy Vann]

Rodgers is talking bravely about possibly returning for the playoffs after having innovative “speed bridge” surgery on Wednesday. That could influence whatever decision the Jets make in the interim.

https://www.nfl.com/news/jets-qb-aaron- ... ve-surgery

He certainly has the heart for this view and I'd assume he's cleared this with Joe Rogan before making such a pronouncement that he'll back before playoffs.
If Joe Rogan hasn't given his blessing here, I'd see Aaron Rodgers recovering on a normal timetable for such an injury.

For the life of me I can't fathom how anyone thinks - including Farhan which is a shocker as he's astute - that either the Jets would immediately try to acquire Rourke and that the Jags with just 3 QBs would magically give him up.

Play the latter out. Lawrence goes down and Beathard who Cromartie says has never been as good as he was this pre-season takes over. Then who is the back up to Beathard? Rourke but not if he's gone.

I'd see Streveler there in a heart beat not to take over as starter but in the backup role or roles.

Right now they're doing what Ottawa and Sask have had to do - ride the backup.

[Hambone]

Rodgers is talking bravely about possibly returning for the playoffs after having innovative “speed bridge” surgery on Wednesday. That could influence whatever decision the Jets make in the interim.

https://www.nfl.com/news/jets-qb-aaron- ... ve-surgery

You can never quite run with whatever Rodgers has to say. He's had some very weird takes on a lot of things in recent years. But nobody can deny him the right to be optimistic about his recovery.

From Wiki:
On Adam Breneman's podcast in 2022, former Packers backup quarterback DeShone Kizer said that Rodgers expressed interest in 9/11 conspiracy theories at one of the first meetings between the two quarterbacks. Kizer described their discussion of conspiracy theories as "a real thought experiment".

Rodgers has been vocal about his use of alternative medicine and treatments, and is a proponent of the legalization of psychedelic drugs. He revealed in 2022 that he had previously made offseason trips to Peru where he consumed ayahuasca. He is one of the most prominent NFL players to voice concern about the practice of vaccination. He is likewise one of the most prominent NFL players to shun all forms of vaccination against the COVID-19 virus.

I was reading an article on ESPN this morning that talked about achilles recoveries of several athletes. The fastest recovery they noted was 5 months for Rams RB Cam Akers in 2021. He returned for the final regular season game and playoffs but he tore his in July, a good 6 weeks earlier than Rodgers did. It was 8 months for Kobe Bryant when this same doctor repaired his achilles but that was a decade ago. Kevin Durant took 18 months. Surgery techniques are always evolving but even if Rodgers can match Akers' recovery that makes for a return for Super Bowl. To return for the playoffs Rodgers would have to cut his recovery time down to 4 months.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/384 ... turns-year

[South Pender]

The Jets management has no choice but to “roll with Zach” because they spent the #2 overall pick on him in 2021. If the Jets braintrust admits made a mistake they will be out of work just as quickly as Zach Wilson. Plucking Rourke from the Jags PR would be a clear signal that there is an open competition for QB1. The Jets don’t want that optic....The Jets can still save some face by signing a free agent veteran QB (or trading for one) to back up and “mentor” Wilson.

I agree with much of that. I think HC Robert Saleh's comments about "Zach's our guy" have to be taken in context. Wilson is the only really available Jets QB right now, and Saleh's not going to publicly voice uncertainty about him and withhold support and then throw the guy out there completely demoralized.

The truth is that Wilson's performance yesterday against a good Cowboys team was just terrible. He went 12 of 27 (44%) for 170 yards, had 3 interceptions, and was sacked 3 times, finishing with a QB rating of 38.1 (it doesn’t get that much lower than that). It seems clear that Wilson can’t lead the Jets to many victories this season, despite the fact that the team has some real talent on both sides of the ball, and so I think that it’s likely that—despite Saleh’s statements to the contrary—the Jets will see whether a free-agent veteran QB is available, if for no other reason than to take some of the heat off Wilson.

Here’s one writer’s take on Zach Wilson and the Jets’ chances in 2023:

https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2023/9/18 ... ork-giants