Organized Team Activities (also known as OTAs) have kicked off this week around the league. It’s the first real opportunity for us to see quarterback Aaron Rodgers slinging passes with a Jets helmet on, too.
There’s still a long way to go before the season starts. Heck, we have two months until training camp officially gets underway in July. But now is when teams start building the foundation when it comes to chemistry and figuring out how to gel on the field. And since Rodgers just landed in New York, he’s got some work to do.
According to Dianna Russini of ESPN, the four-time NFL MVP is already making a significant impact on the Jets, both on and off the field:
Spoke to multiple Jets players & coaches about the impact of Aaron Rodgers:
*The standard has been raised
*The “little details” are significant to Rodgers
*Everyone is being held accountable in meetings and on the field
*Rodgers HAS A LOT OF SAY
*He’s ALL IN
*Trust is building— Dianna Russini (@diannaESPN) May 23, 2023
All of these things are music to everyone’s ears. With him under center, the expectations have been raised when it comes to team performance. So, it’s good to hear the standard has also been raised and people are talking about the small details that can make a big difference.
But most important of all is the second-to-last point Russini made in the above tweet: Rodgers is all in.
Before getting traded to the Jets happened, Rodgers openly said he was pretty close to retirement. Acquiring him wasn’t a cheap endeavor for New York, so the hope was he’d come here and throw his whole self in to try and take the Jets to the next level.
Once again, it’s early. Rodgers and the Jets are still in the honeymoon period, as well. But the fact that he’s already seen as being all in and talking a lot shows what he said during his introductory press conference was true. Now, Jets fans will be hoping all of these things lead to some W’s on the field.
The start of New York’s season won’t be easy. In fact, they have the NFL’s toughest schedule through the first six weeks. But that’s not an excuse now. The Jets know it and Rodgers knows it. It’s time to perform. Before they can start racking up wins during the regular season, though, they need to lay the foundation during OTAs and training camp. It’s just nice to see that everything we’d expect to go down is happening pretty much immediately.
You can reach Matt Musico at matt.musico@xlmedia.com. You can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.