Rodgers latest aging NFL star to join Jets late in career

April 25, 2023  -FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — The trade of quarterback Aaron Rodgers from Green Bay to New York puts one of the greatest players in NFL history in a Jets uniform.

Despite a 54-year Super Bowl drought and the league’s longest active streak without a playoff appearance (12 seasons), the Jets have acquired several Hall of Fame players over the years. Some had big impacts, while others simply made a pitstop in New York on their way to Canton.

Here are some of the most notable players who joined the Jets late in their careers and ended up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame — mostly for their accomplishments elsewhere:

QB BRETT FAVRE: After 17 NFL seasons, including 16 in Green Bay, the three-time MVP and one-time Super Bowl champion was traded to New York during training camp in 2008 for a conditional fourth-round draft pick. He got the Jets off to an 8-3 start before a shoulder injury affected his performance and New York missed the playoffs. Favre retired after his stint with the Jets before returning to play two more years with Minnesota.

Jets stats: 3,472 yards passing, 22 TDs, 22 INTs in 16 games. Pro Football Hall of Fame: 2016.

RB LaDAINIAN TOMLINSON: The 2006 NFL MVP and Offensive Player of the Year was one of the most electric players in league history as a speedy and elusive double threat out of the Chargers’ backfield. After nine seasons in San Diego, Tomlinson signed with the Jets in 2010 and helped them to the AFC title game. Not nearly as dynamic a player in his two years with New York, he retired after the 2011 season.