People around the Jets have been saying it since the moment quarterback Aaron Rodgers stepped foot on the field for OTAs in the spring. His presence has raised the expectations for the entire organization. Not everyone may like it, but that’s exactly what’s happening.
Head coach Robert Saleh likened Rodgers to another coach who can still play the game at a very high level. The four-time NFL MVP has been quizzing his teammates throughout practices, and it’s not just an organic thing that happens when he’s on the field. He’s doing it on purpose.
Training camp is a time to accomplish lots of things. This is when the foundation of a championship-caliber team is built. Rodgers is well aware of that and doesn’t want to waste this opportunity with his new teammates.
There are times when those preseason workouts can be a slog and you just want Week 1 to get here. But from Rodgers’ perspective, every moment is an opportunity to get better (via Associated Press):
If we’re just going through the motions when we’re on the field, we’re missing opportunity. Every time we’re on the field, we should be alert for anything. And I like to test them on some stuff that maybe they haven’t thought about before or maybe it was installed in Day One that we were here and maybe something we talked about in the spring, just that they know kind of how I operate.
Everything is up, No. 1. But also, the best players are the smartest players. So any time we’re on that field, whether it’s a half-line walkthrough or a full 11-on-11 play, they should be playing with their brains turned on.
This is just one of the many benefits of bringing in a future Hall of Famer to play quarterback for you (for the next two years). Let’s hope Zach Wilson will soak this all up like a sponge for when it’s his time to get back under center as QB1.
You can reach Matt Musico at matt.musico@xlmedia.com. You can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.
