NFL analyst responds to criticism after placing Aaron Rodgers’ Jets near bottom of 32-team power ranking

Aaron Rodgers' Jets started their current era with Super Bowl hopes. However, one NFL analyst has challenged them to climb out of the bottom 10.

In a previous ranking, NFL analyst Mike Florio ranked the Jets 25th out of the 32 teams. Predictably, Jets fans rioted, prompting a response from the analyst. Florio claimed Jets fans should "be glad," to be ranked so low.

"[00:00:56] What have they done to merit anything higher than that? What have they done? Anything? No playoffs since 2010. Last year they built up a ton of hope and it all popped literally four plays into the season. You should be glad. Don't get mad at me. Be glad the bar is low. ... somebody had to be 25 [00:01:33]," he said. [37.9] PFT

Of course, telling a fanbase they should be glad about the failing mark one just gave them is an interesting way to ask fans not to be mad. That said, Jets fans are no strangers to disappointment over the last decade.

Aside from winning a multiple first-round pick-filled blockbuster trade with the Seattle Seahawks regarding Jamal Adams and a 10-6 season in 2015, the Jets have had little to celebrate.

However, Aaron Rodgers represents a beacon of hope for the franchise. Some fans have waited their entire lives or their entire adult lives for the feeling of a playoff season.

Aaron Rodgers under pressure to deliver Jets' first division-winning season in 22 years

Aaron Rodgers at New York Jets v Cleveland Browns

Of course, the bar is low in a numerical sense. However, to turn around a franchise stuck in purgatory like the Jets, unfortunately, might be as hard as winning a Super Bowl.

Aaron Rodgers has been favored by many to go beyond simply elevating the team out of the playoff drought. He's been pointed to as a solution to fix something not even the Dallas Cowboys have been able to solve in 30 years.

However, even delivering an AFC East championship would be a massive step forward for the franchise. The last season that saw them win the division was all the way back in 2002.

If Rodgers could somehow deliver back-to-back championships, it would be the first such feat accomplished for the team since they played in the NFL.

Their last back-to-back division title run was in 1968 and 1969 with Joe Namath. To elevate himself to that level, the New York Jets will need to win perhaps the weakest version of the division since before the Tom Brady era.

The Buffalo Bills are rebuilding on offense, the Dolphins have proven to struggle in December and January, and the Patriots have a rookie quarterback.

If there ever was a season for the Jets to take over the division, 2024 is set to be that year on paper. That said, Garrett Wilson's quarterback has already demonstrated why health is a big question for the team. Will the Jets rise to the occasion?

If any of the above quotes are used, credit "Pro Football Talk," and H/T Sportskeeda.