How Aaron Rodgers’ practices refueled New York Jets’ hope،
FLORHAM PARK, NJ – In their final three practices of the season, the New York Jets were reminded of what could have been. And what could be.
End-of-season practices can be a chore for teams out of the playoff picture, but they've made it better by incorporating a “competition” period into each day and letting Aaron Rodgers lead the way. The Jets didn't talk about it — practice was closed to the media — but word quickly began to trickle out because players were excited about what they saw from Rodgers.
Until then, Rodgers had limited himself to scouting team work — running opposing plays — but he was moving so well on his surgically repaired Achilles that coaches decided to let him cook. It was a first-team offense against the first-team defense, no coaches, just Rodgers calling plays for the offense and linebacker CJ Mosley calling plays for the defense.
“It’s like watching Picasso paint,” says Mekhi Becton after one of the training sessions.
Everyone was transported back to a happier time. Early in training camp, when Rodgers' left Achilles tendon was healthy and their Super Bowl dreams were complete, the Jets conducted a handful of practices that included periods of competition. Best against best always raises the energy level, and so they tried to recreate that vibe before everyone dispersed for the offseason.
Obviously, Rodgers looked magnificent.
“At times he would split us up and throw pennies at it,” Mosley said. “You kind of find yourself looking at him again, like, 'Dang, that's Aaron Rodgers throwing the ball.'”
The end-of-year surprise brought mixed emotions. There was a hint of melancholy as players witnessed what was taken from them in 2023: a future Hall of Fame quarterback with the ability to galvanize the team. Without Rodgers, the Jets started four different quarters, finished 31st overall and went 7-10, eliminated from the playoffs with three games remaining.
Mostly, they saw the last three practices as a preview of 2024, a Rodgers trailer, so to speak – something to ease the disappointment of a lost season and inspire hope for the year next. Rodgers also said there was excitement, but he also acknowledged, “The 'what if?' It hits you pretty hard in the face because, obviously, if you had seen what we were able to do, there's a lot that could have happened.
Operating with a strap that included six to eight different plays each day, Rodgers was in total command Wednesday (mixed games), Thursday (third down) and Friday (red zone). Players said Rodgers was so interested that he seemed to be trying to make up for lost time, throwing the ball down the field, pointing out potential blitzers and even calling plays that weren't in the script. He challenged Sauce Gardner — few quarterbacks do that — and made a throw back that stunned the All-Pro cornerback.
Rodgers being Rodgers, he couldn't resist bragging.
“[I] I proved that maybe I could still play a little bit,” he said with a smile.
SEVEN OF 32 teams are looking for a head coach, but the Jets — with the NFL's fourth-worst record in Robert Saleh's three seasons (18-33) — return with Saleh because ownership believes in the formula which she created last year with Rodgers. can still work. Indeed, his expected return has fueled optimism. Maybe “refueled” is a better way to put it.
“It’s really not as far away as it seems right now,” general manager Joe Douglas said.
The Jets are counting on Rodgers to make a full recovery and perform at a level closer to his 2021 MVP season (74.1 QBR) than his farewell to Green Bay in 2022 (a career-low 41.3 QBR). It's a big ask, considering his age (40) and the severity of his injury, but they think the commitment is there.
“He is on a mission,” Saleh said, “and he will not stop until his mission is complete.”
Rodgers is no magician, however. As he said, “We need some parts.”
Specifically, he mentioned wide receiver and the offensive line, where they could add two or three new starters. The Jets allowed 64 sacks (tied for 28th), including league highs at center (8.5), right tackle (14) and left guard (9.5, tied for the most), according to Next Gen Stats.
A 40-year-old quarterback behind a leaky offensive line is bad news waiting to happen. And yet there is a feeling in the locker room that Rodgers will make everything better, that his experience and expertise will elevate those around him. They still believe in his leadership; his teammates presented him with the Dennis Byrd Award for Most Inspirational Player, bringing him to the verge of tears during the announcement.
“I think Aaron is going to come back and make some big changes to the team, for lack of a better explanation,” center Connor McGovern said. “It's kind of built around him. The offense is tailored to him.”
Receiver Garrett Wilson went even further, saying in a radio interview, “Aaron is the offense.”
Indeed, some talk about Rodgers as if he were the offensive coordinator, not Nathaniel Hackett. McGovern used a Formula One analogy to describe Rodgers' importance in the offense, saying it is akin to a Red Bull race car driven by someone other than world champion Max Verstappen. The car, customized for Verstappen, is not as fast with someone else behind the wheel, according to McGovern.
With Rodgers behind center, the Jets have a “fixer” — or at least that’s how he’s perceived internally. Without using pre-snap movement, he can take a still photo of the defense with his mind, diagnosing potential problems and making adjustments before the snap.
The Jets prepared this way for five months, from OTAs through training camp. It was a race against the schedule, knowing that Rodgers — with his fancy hand signals and cadences — needed all that time to set up the offense to his liking.
The overall approach evoked a famous quote from former Indianapolis Colts offensive coordinator Tom Moore. When asked why Peyton Manning's replacements didn't get more reps, Moore replied, “Guys, if 18 falls, we're screwed. And we're not practicing screwed.”
THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT came to the Jets when Rodgers was injured in the fourth game of the season. They were painfully slow to adjust on the fly, as the offense hit an eight-game streak where it failed to produce more than one touchdown in a single game. The desperation came to a head when Zach Wilson was replaced in Week 12 by Tim Boyle, a former practice squad player. Ultimately, Hackett tweaked a few things during the second half of the season.
He used running back Breece Hall as a pass catcher, sometimes splitting him into empty formations. He finished with 76 receptions, the best among all backs. Hackett also used more pre-snap moves with Wilson and Trevor Siemian at quarterback. Over the last six games, they have used some form of motion on 27.5 plays per game, compared to 19 plays in the first 11 games, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
One problem that was never resolved was the series of pre-snap penalties; the Jets are tied for the league lead with 52. They are confident that Rodgers, with his command at the line of scrimmage, will be able to cure this epidemic.
The coaching staff acknowledges it could have done a better job in the wake of Rodgers' injury and will explore ways to make the offense more friendly to quarterbacks not named Rodgers, who seemed eager to participate in the process.
“Nate and I are going to spend some time getting deeper into the offense and figuring out what we want to do going forward,” he said.
The players feel like they can build on the foundation established last offseason, that they're already past the point of knowing Rodgers and can focus on fine-tuning. One area that needs attention is the offensive line, with some players saying there needs to be better synchronization between Hackett's system and line coach Keith Carter's blocking system.
Rodgers' participation in voluntary workouts will be essential. A year ago, he attended every practice session to assimilate into his new surroundings and try to rebuild the culture. He hasn't planned his offseason yet, but said he would like to attend as many days as possible.
Once again, expectations will be enormous. Rodgers fueled them last spring by noting the “lonely” Lombardi Trophy in the team window — a 55-year-old trophy, lonelier than ever.
“He’s still in the same place,” Rodgers said. “By himself.”
