The Jets are making their push for Aaron Rodgers

BOSTON -- On Monday, the Jets officially lost out on Derek Carr. On Tuesday, all of their attention turned to Aaron Rodgers.

Rodgers has spent his offseason living as a walking enigma, but it would seem as though he's given someone the indication that he does indeed intend to play football in 2023. That may or may not be with the Packers, as the only team for which Rodgers has ever played gave him permission to talk with the Jets about a potential trade.

This was no halfhearted measure, though, as the Woody Johnson's private plane was thrust into action to send the Jets contingent to California to meet with Rodgers.

That group includes Johnson, GM Joe Douglas, head coach Robet Saleh, and newly hired offensive coordinator (and former coach of Rodgers) Nathaniel Hackett.

Clearly, the Jets are taking this opportunity seriously, as Rodgers could very well lift them to heights the franchise hasn't seen in a long, long time.

As such, some Jets players are getting a bit excited.

One Jets player who surely won't be openly campaigning for Rodgers to end up in New Jersey is Zach Wilson. Though the Jets are clearly looking to improve their quarterbacking situation after two ugly seasons from the No. 2 overall pick, the pickings might get slimmer if Rodgers decides the Jets aren't the right fit for him.

Even if Rodgers does want to go to the Jets, the Packers and Jets would have to finagle a trade that works for both sides, which -- given Rodgers' enormous salary -- won't be easy. But it will be possible ... and it also seems like something the Packers want to do.

If Rodgers were to land with the Jets, it would certainly change the landscape of the AFC East, and would also make the Jets real contenders in the AFC, as foreign as that may sound.

The Jets had both the offensive and defensive rookie of the year last season. That was a particularly impressive feat in both regards. On offense, Garrett Wilson earned the award despite working with a quarterbacking trio of Wilson, Joe Flacco and Mike White. (Breece Hall also would have been a candidate if not for his injury after seven games.) On defense, Sauce Gardner won the award in a year when the top five picks in the draft were all used on defensive players and when four cornerbacks were taken in the first round. Gardner was the second cornerback off the board, but he was the best of the bunch, and he's got the hardware to prove it.

Overall, the Jets had the No. 4-ranked defense in the NFL, holding opponents to 20 or fewer points 11 times. But they had the fourth-worst scoring offense, scoring 17 or fewer points 10 times. They went 1-9 in those games.

That's where Rodgers could make a real difference in turning that 7-10 record into something much more impressive.

Of course, that would depend on Rodgers being fully committed and fully invested in the team, both of which have rightfully been questioned in recent years in Green Bay. The matter of meshing with the New York media is another hurdle entirely, to be sure.

Yet given the way Rodgers operates -- or at least, the way we think Rodgers operates -- then there's good reason to believe that he'd be good for a full-on vengeance season with the Jets, proving all of his real and imagined doubters wrong with one last MVP-caliber performance at the age of 39.

Whether he does that with the Jets, we don't know quite yet. But whatever happens, it won't be for lack of the Jets trying.