With Aaron Rodgers on doorstep of 500 TD passes, Jets teammates want to catch some history
New York Jets wide receiver Davante Adams (17) breaks a run after pass during Los Angeles Rams at the New York Jets on December 22, 2024. Credit: Lee S. Weissman/Lee S. Weissman
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — No one has caught more touchdown passes from Aaron Rodgers than Davante Adams.
The two have connected for 74 touchdowns (eight more in the playoffs), six times with the Jets — including five in the last four games — and the rest with the Packers.
Rodgers is one touchdown pass away from 500 in his career, and Adams would love to be the one to make history with the quarterback — again.
“I got 200, I got 400, so it’d be dope to get [500] as well,” Adams said after practice Friday. “I think his 200th was my first. We got some special connections in the past. So it’d be great, and obviously it’d be a big thing for him. Not that he needs more accolades and more milestones, but, I mean, just might as well keep racking them up while you can.”
Rodgers, 41, is fifth in touchdown passes in NFL history, nine behind his old Packers teammate and former Jet Brett Favre, who is fourth with 508.
Adams (hip) is questionable for Sunday’s game against the Bills in Buffalo. Interim coach Jeff Ulbrich said “he looked good” in a “limited fashion” Friday. Adams said: “I would say I’m optimistic.”
Ulbrich raved about the opportunity to coach Rodgers and the imminent milestone.
“Yeah, it’s huge,” he said. “It’s been one of my great honors in my life — not just football and this profession — to be around him, to learn from him, to grow from him, and it’s going to be so special to see that 500th ball caught.
“So excited for him and what it means to his legacy and all that Aaron Rodgers is.”
Third-year tight end Jeremy Ruckert hopes his first touchdown equals a special number for Rodgers.
“Yeah, we actually joked around about it today because we were talking about how that would be my first touchdown, so I would have to probably give that up and figure something out,” the Lindenhurst product told Newsday. “Can’t keep that ball, got to give it to him. Yeah, but, I mean, it’s cool. It’s definitely something special to be a part of it.
“I was on the field for when Davante scored his 100th, which was an awesome experience in Jacksonville. And yeah, he’s one away, and it’ll be a pretty cool moment for our team and the organization, especially for him.”
In a season that has not gone the way anybody wanted, is there a silver lining to seeing teammates achieve personal landmarks?
“Yeah, for sure,” right guard Alijah Vera-Tucker told Newsday. “I think we found out that was Davante’s 100th TD, it was definitely a motivation. Like, all right, let’s keep on going. Let’s finish it out strong with a dub. And it’s always cool seeing guys and their personal accolades and everything.”
With 3,511 passing yards this season, Rodgers sits sixth in single-season passing yards in Jets history, only 496 yards behind Joe Namath’s record 4,007-yard season in 1967. Rodgers certainly is within striking distance of the top of the franchise’s record book, although it would be in 17 games to Namath’s 14.
Notes & quotes: Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams are questionable with hamstring injuries. “[Sauce] went out there today, he gave it a try,” Ulbrich said. “We’ll see. If there’s anybody that would play with an injury and push, it’s him.” . . . Defensive lineman Leki Fotu (knee) is out . . . Greg Zuerlein will be the kicker Sunday for the first time since Oct. 27. He beat out Greg Joseph, who was signed to the practice squad Tuesday, and Anders Carlson, the kicker for the Jets’ previous five games.
Ben Dickson joined Newsday’s high school sports staff in 2023 after graduating from Maryland, where he covered several of the Terrapins' teams.
