The NFL preseason is important for lots of reasons. It helps players get their legs underneath them before an 18-week regular season. Position battles are also settled based on a player’s performance during these games. But for established veterans like Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers, it could be a trap when it comes to staying healthy prior to Week 1.
WFAN legend Mike Francesa recently said someone should drug-test head coach Robert Saleh if Rodgers appears in a game before New York’s Week 1 matchup vs. the Buffalo Bills. It looks like it’s undetermined whether a test will be needed or not.
During an appearance on The Michael Kay Show this week, Saleh commented on Rodgers’ preseason status. Kay asked the Jets’ head coach directly if we’d see his QB1 take the field at any point before September.
Saleh said the only time it might happen would be on August 26th vs. the Giants. He also labeled it as a “quick tune-up”. Kay asked why he pointed to that contest in particular, and it’s because that’d be Gang Green’s last preseason game before the real thing.
Based on how Saleh answered these questions, it sounds like he’ll leave the decision up to Rodgers. After all, he knows what he needs in order to be ready. If the four-time NFL MVP does play vs. the Giants, it’d probably only be for a series or two.
So, that means we’ll likely see lots of quarterback Zach Wilson throughout the preseason. At least we’ll find out if his relationship with Rodgers reaps any early benefits. Jets fans can be happy that Wilson’s playing time will be limited to exhibition games, though.
You can reach Matt Musico at matt.musico@xlmedia.com. You can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.
