Jets interim coach Jeff Ulbrich says Aaron Rodgers won’t be shut down and will start against Seahawks

There has been much speculation about whether Aaron Rodgers will continue to be the Jets starting quarterback for the final six weeks.
Following a bye week, Jets interim coach Jeff Ulbrich said that Rodgers would start against the Seahawks on Sunday and that the four-time NFL MVP would continue to be the starter moving forward.
“All I can say and you’d have to ask Aaron if he’s fully healthy — but he is better off today than he has been as of late,” Ulbrich said about Rodgers. “He is definitely feeling healthier than he has the last month.
“A healthy Aaron Rodgers is an Aaron Rodgers we all love. Excited about what that looks like.”
During the first 11 games of the season, Rodgers has dealt with hamstring, knee, and ankle injuries, which appear to be impacting his performance. He has been “resisting” to get scans done to find out the severity of his injuries, according to NFL Media. Reportedly, Rodgers has remained firm about staying on the field despite the injuries.
Ulbrich said he has not been “informed” about Rodgers declining to get any scans done on his injuries.
“That’s news to me,” Ulbrich said.
Rodgers, 40, has started all 11 games for the Jets, coming off a season-ending Achilles injury four snaps into his debut with the team in 2023. Not only are the Jets 3-8 and tied for last place in the AFC East, but Rodgers has struggled with his accuracy in the pocket, and his mobility isn’t the same from his MVP days with the Packers.
Rodgers has thrown for 2,442 yards, 17 touchdowns, and seven interceptions while completing 63.4% of his passes. He is 24th in adjusted total quarterback rating this season (51.4). It remains unclear if Rodgers will return to the Jets in 2025, and the final six games could help decide that.
After the Jets’ Week 4 loss to the Broncos, Rodgers told reporters his knee was swollen, and he also had a hamstring injury. That’s when owner Woody Johnson suggested Rodgers be benched, according to sources, hoping to improve the offense’s performance.
Gang Green is 27th in offensive yards (294.4) and points per game (18.5).
“He has worked extremely hard and that did not change coming back from the bye,” Jets offensive playcaller and passing game coordinator Todd Downing said about Rodgers. “What I think everyone is focused on now is putting our best foot forward against Seattle. We haven’t played anywhere near a complete game on offense yet.
“We have had halves on what we wanted it to look, we have had drives that looked like we wanted it to look. But Aaron like the rest of us, is focused on how to be consistent and how to attack Seattle so we can get this thing on track.”
Johnson was quickly talked out of benching Rodgers, but his frustration with the Jets’ season remains.
On Oct. 8, Johnson fired coach Robert Saleh following more than three seasons after beginning the 2024 season 2-3, making Ulbrich the interim coach. Then, on Nov. 19, Johnson fired general manager Joe Douglas after five-plus seasons. Now, the Jets have already begun the process of planning for the 2025 season.
On Monday, the squad announced it had hired The 33rd Team to help identify candidates for their coaching and general manager searches. With six games remaining, Jets players could lose focus with little to play for down the stretch.
But Ulbrich doesn’t appear concerned about the players being unfocused down the stretch.
“My singular focus is finishing this season off the right way,” Ulbrich said. “Playing a brand of football we are all proud of, myself included. And that starts with Seattle.
“As a player and a coach in this league and I know from 20 years of being in it, there’s no context to tape,” Ulbrich said. “When people evaluate tape, they don’t look at your record, they don’t look at the score of the game, they could care less about any of that. The tape is a reflection of me, it’s a reflection of every single player in that locker room, it is a reflection of all of us.
“We decide how we finish the season. We decide how we are judged based upon that tape and because of that, we have to pour everything we have into this Seattle week.”
Jets linebacker C.J. Mosley has missed the team’s last four games because of a neck injury.
But despite the Jets’ record, the 32-year-old is still hopeful about playing again this season.
“It’s progressing in the right direction,” Mosley said on Monday. “The bye week went well. Did some small tackling drills on the bag.
“Didn’t have any big major resets the next day. So it’s looking to progress this week and hopefully get back on the field soon.”
When Mosley was asked about his status for Sunday’s game against the Seahawks, he appeared less confident he will play.
“Not 100 percent,” Mosley said. “Today was my first time putting on the helmet. I  don’t want to go too fast.
“Just take it one day at a time. I actually hit somebody and can kind of feel the impact of just, you know, having not having my neck, like just talking around all those different things, I can’t give you 100 percent, but definitely going the right direction.
Doctors have told Mosley his neck won’t need surgery, and rest and rehab should help it heal.
This season has been challenging for Mosley because of multiple injuries. In Week 2, Mosley injured his toe and missed three games. He returned in losses against the Bills and Steelers, but Mosley injured his neck during pregame warmups ahead of the Oct. 27 loss to the Patriots and has been out ever since.
With Mosley missing most of this season, Jamien Sherwood has taken over the Jets’ defensive play-calling duties.
This year hasn’t just been tough for Mosley personally but also team-wise. The Jets have failed to live up to playoff and Super Bowl aspirations and have a 3-8 record with six games remaining.
The Jets are likely to miss the playoffs for the 14th consecutive time. But Mosley has his own reasons for wanting to play again this season.
“I’ve definitely looked into what type of injury this was,” Mosley said. “After football life, playing with an injury like this.
“Only thing I control right now is know what my body’s feeling and mentally and physically. I feel like I’m in the right position to be able to get back on the field, know whether my team was winning or losing.”