FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Aaron Rodgers is back as the New York Jets’ starting quarterback: healthy, confident and ready for a potential do-or-die season for him and the entire organization.
“If I don’t do what I know I’m capable of doing, we’re probably all going to be out of here,” Rodgers said Tuesday after his second OTA practice, the first open to the media. “I like that kind of pressure, though.”
The four-time MVP amplified the narrative surrounding the Jets that the fate of coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas likely hinges on the 2024 season. The Jets are 18-33 under Saleh’s leadership and Douglas and hope that Rodgers and a win-now roster can end the NFL’s longest active playoff drought: 13 years.
Rodgers, 40, also got into trouble.
“You might not say it, but as you get older in the league, if you don’t perform, they’ll get rid of you or bring in the next guy to take over,” he said. “I mean, it happened in Green Bay, and I’m a few years older than I was back then.
“I hope to play at a high level. I hope we are productive and competitive and that all of that takes care of itself.”
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For the first time in eight months, Rodgers presided over the Jets’ starting offense, showing no apparent signs of rust or lingering effects from a torn Achilles tendon that ended his 2023 season on the fourth play.
“He’s doing everything,” Saleh said of the practice regimen.
With Rodgers at quarterback, the ball didn’t touch the ground until the late stages of the 90-minute practice. He was perfect (2-for-2) in his first 11-on-11 period, was perfect (5-for-5) in his only 7-on-7 period and completed his first three attempts on the next 11-11 before losing wide receiver Xavier Gipson on a deep lateral route. Moments earlier, he had made his best shot of the day, splitting a pair of defenders on a deep seam toward Gipson.
“I don’t want to look like a bum,” Rodgers said. “That’s why I pushed myself and believed in my abilities. I mean, you saw today. I don’t have pads, but obviously I can still throw with the best of them and I can still move.
“I hope to get back to where I was last year. When I play well, I think all the individual chances for recognition would be great. But if I play the way I’m capable, we’ll be playing for a lot more than that.”
Rodgers’ return has energized the team after a bitterly disappointing 2023, in which the Jets (7-10) went through three more quarterbacks after Rodgers’ devastating injury in Week 1. Saleh made some changes in the offensive staff, but retained coordinator Nathaniel. Hackett amid speculation that he could hire a top assistant over Hackett.
Hackett will continue to be the play-caller, according to Saleh, who has taken on a larger role in the offense. A healthy Rodgers will most likely make everyone better.
“It’s unbelievable,” defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich marveled. “He’s found kind of a fountain of youth because I never see a different version of him. He’s the same guy I saw the last four weeks of the season when he was criticizing us on the scout team stuff.”
“I don’t want to look like a bum. That’s why I put in the effort and believe in my abilities. I mean, you saw today. I don’t have any pads, but obviously I can still throw it with the best of them and I can still move.” Aaron Rodgers
Rodgers practiced on a limited basis late last season with the reserves, trying to make an unlikely recovery from surgery on his left Achilles tendon. At that point, he clearly wasn’t 100% (his footwork and lateral movement were still compromised) and he never returned to the field when the Jets fell out of the race.
He was noticeably sharper Tuesday, participating in all the pre-practice calisthenics drills with the entire team and running, things he wasn’t able to do at the end of last season. Rodgers said he feels “really good” from a strength and movement standpoint, adding that all he needs to do is practice reps to regain feeling and confidence.
Rodgers made headlines in the offseason, especially when independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. mentioned him as a possible running mate. Addressing the issue for the first time with local media, Rodgers said he was talking about becoming a vice presidential candidate. It was “something real.”
“Yes, I love Bobby,” Rodgers said. “We had a couple of really nice conversations, but there were really two options: retire and be his vice president or keep playing. I want to keep playing.”
By releasing so much non-football news during the offseason, including controversial comments on several podcasts, Rodgers received criticism for seemingly contradicting his own end-of-season edict. At the time, he said the Jets needed to “handle the bulls—” and focus on football to become a winning team.
Recalling that comment, Rodgers said he appreciates everyone’s opinion, adding, “That’s the beauty of the First Amendment in this country and freedom of speech, whether it’s positive or negative to me.”
“I respect those opinions, but they are off-season things and they are real opportunities, mostly podcasts, my friends, and the Bobby thing was a real thing. How it came to light, I don’t know. It wasn’t for me, once season starts, it’s all about football.
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