2024-11-01 11:20:03
FLORHAM PARK, NEW JERSEY – JULY 26: Quarterback Aaron Rodgers #8 of the New York Jets talks to … [+]
The New York Jets are in danger of being out of playoff contention at 2-6, and their aging quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, is struggling to live up to his own standard of excellence. That should be the main story right now, according to CBS Sports analyst and future NFL Hall of Famer J.J. Watt, who is sick and tired of the circus surrounding the franchise — something that came to a head this week when Rodgers shared his new obsession with cayenne pepper-infused water, which he calls a “little fountain of youth.”
Watt was making an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday when this topic was brought to the forefront. Responding to the idea that Rodgers has suddenly found the fountain of youth, Watt let it all hang out: “Is this a joke, man? Like, is this a joke? Like, come on…just go play the ball, man. Just go play the ball, try and get better, score some touchdowns.”
One of the show’s producers responded by defending Rodgers, saying, “That’s why he’s drinking the cayenne pepper, dude, trying to get better.”
Watt, a future Hall of Famer and three-time Defensive Player of the Year, wasn’t interested in any of this: “Come on man. I’m so sick of all of us talking about this sh*t. Like, it’s not working,” Watt exclaimed. “They’re 2-6! They’re 2-6!”
It’s a valid point. The Jets are not living up to expectations. This was a team that was picked by some to be a viable Super Bowl contender in 2024, thanks in large part to Rodgers returning to the lineup after suffering his Achilles injury.
Unfortunately, the circus has been non-stop for the Jets and their fans. It started when former head coach Robert Saleh was fired by the team, just five weeks into the 2024 campaign. Then there was the Davante Adams trade, which hasn’t yet done much to spark the offense. Now, it’s a cayenne pepper drink dominating headlines.
Aaron Rodgers Discusses The Cayenne Pepper Drink He Calls A ‘Little Fountain Of Youth’
On Monday, following another brutal loss (to the hapless New England Patriots, no less), Rodgers spilled the tea on his favorite new holistic approach. He told reporters that fellow veteran teammate, 38-year-old punter Thomas Morstead, turned him on to drinking water infused with cayenne pepper.
“T-Mo gave me a little fountain of youth,” he said of Morstead, per Rich Cimini of ESPN. “He said he’s been taking it for a while — all legal, of course. … [Maybe] that’s why I’ve been feeling a little bit better.”
Responding to the notion that he’s not very mobile these days, Rodgers admitted that it was “probably right” in the past but that he expects to be looking better in Week 9: “…I expect to be able to do a lot more this week,” Rodgers said. “I’ll be under center and, hopefully, back to my faster-than-Godchaux speed.”
It remains to be seen if Rodgers’ new fountain of youth will do the trick. We’ll find out soon enough, as the Jets take on the dangerous Houston Texans Thursday night.
