In an unexpected twist of fate, the New York Jets, a team that once held dreams of Super Bowl glory in the palm of their hands, have found themselves in quite the predicament. Their star quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, whom they had hoped would lead them to their first Super Bowl win since, well, the first Super Bowl, found his Achilles tendon as shattered as the team’s hopes when his foot contorted awkwardly beneath him during a fateful play.

Jets’ fans everywhere dropped their hotdogs and beers in shared agony. Their social media feeds were awash with grief, memes of crying Jordans, and gifs representing the collective soul-crushing despair of witnessing their team’s potential glory fade into the distance.

As the dust settled and fans came to terms with a season without Rodgers, speculation began about the next step for the Jets. Who could possibly fill the shoes of the great Aaron Rodgers? Young Zach Wilson, the once-backup and now involuntary starter, is undeniably talented but might need a seasoned veteran to back him up.

The rumor mill, never idle for long, churned out a juicy tidbit: Colin Kaepernick’s agent, perhaps sensing a potential comeback story for the ages, reached out to the New York Jets. The pitch? To offer Kaepernick’s services to salvage the season.

However, this isn’t 2016, and Kaepernick’s glory days on the field seem more like an old fairy tale now. His last appearance in the NFL was less than stellar, and his off-the-field activities, including partnering with companies that had questionable labor practices, and making rather controversial documentaries, didn’t do him any favors.

The optics of this were strange. On one hand, we have Kaepernick, who hasn’t thrown an NFL ball in what feels like eons, suddenly appearing like an old superhero coming out of retirement, cloak billowing in the wind, ready to rescue a damsel (or team) in distress. On the other, there’s the Jets’ management, probably scratching their heads and wondering if they were being pranked.