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New York Jets 2024 opponents: Aaron Rodgers would return to Green Bay next season if Packers lose Sunday, finish third in NFC North

Will Aaron Rodgers return to Lambeau Field next season with the Jets?

Matt Severance

This writer is quite curious to know whether Aaron Rodgers is rooting for or against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday in Week 18 against Chicago. If the Packers win -- and they have owned the Bears in recent seasons -- they would get an NFC wild card spot and finish second in the NFC North. That would mean Rodgers' Jets would not visit Lambeau Field next season in what would be arguably the most-hyped game of the year. If the Packers lose Sunday, it could happen.

Of course, Rodgers suffered a season-ending Achilles injury very early in Week 1, so Jets fans still really haven't seen him in action. Lousy quarterback play is the biggest reason why the Jets are 6-10 and locked into third place in the AFC East ahead of only New England (4-12), regardless of what happens Sunday when the Jets visit the Pats in what is likely Bill Belichick's final home game as the Patriots' head coach.

All NFL teams will have their 2024 opponents finalized after Week 18 (some already do), and New York has 15 of its 17 games set. It will also host the same-place division finisher from the AFC West (currently the Raiders) and visit the same-place finisher in the NFC North.

Green Bay (8-8) is second in the North and would stay there with a victory over Chicago, but a loss brings all sorts of tiebreakers into play. Minnesota still has longshot playoff hopes and if it wins Sunday in Detroit -- which essentially has nothing to play for as the North champion -- and Chicago wins, the Vikings would finish second.

A Vikings loss and a Bears win positions Minnesota in fourth, and then it's down to tiebreakers for third between Chicago and Green Bay. If Justin Fields leads the Bears to the upset Sunday, they would split the season series with the Packers and also finish with the same divisional record, so even deeper tiebreakers would come into play.

Rodgers was recently asked about a possible 2024 return and said: "It'd be emotional for sure going back and playing at Lambeau. That would be hyped. I was there in 2009 when Brett came back. There was some cheers for sure, there were some boos. He played lights out."

Rodgers was referring to Brett Favre's first-ever game back at Lambeau on Nov. 1, 2009, when Favre returned with the Vikings and was generally booed on every play. Minnesota rolled to a 38-26 win as Favre had four touchdown passes, while Rodgers, in his second season as the starter, tallied three TD passes. The Packers beat Favre and the Vikings the following year at Lambeau Field in what was Favre's final season. Rodgers remembered all of the Packers-Vikings games during those two years as "emotional."

Think Rodgers might be a little fired up to beat his replacement Jordan Love? Love would also be in his second season as a starter. The four-time MVP's exit with the Packers began to formulate when they infuriated him by trading up in Round 1 of the 2020 draft to take Love, even though Rodgers was still in his prime.

Jets 2024 Opponents

Home: Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, AFC West third-place team.

Away: Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers, AFC North, NFC North third-place team.

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