Aaron Rodgers giving Jets fans belief again during OTAs
Aaron Rodgers is at it again. No, this isn’t some political or conspiracy thing. To be honest, I really don’t care about any of that stuff when it comes to football players. This is far worse than any of that stuff. Aaron Rodgers is doing something that should have Jets fans terrified. He is making […]
Aaron Rodgers is at it again.
No, this isn’t some political or conspiracy thing. To be honest, I really don’t care about any of that stuff when it comes to football players. This is far worse than any of that stuff. Aaron Rodgers is doing something that should have Jets fans terrified.
He is making them believe again.
Speaking at OTAs, Rodgers was saying all those things that give Jets fans the warm fuzzies. He is being open and honest, with a hint of the kind of arrogance you need in a quarterback and team leader.
"I expect to play at a high level. I expect us to be productive and competitive and all that stuff to take care of itself," Rodgers told the media. "I don't want to go out as a bum," Rodgers said. "So that's why I put the work in and believe in my abilities. I mean, you guys saw today. There's no pads on, but I can obviously still throw it with the best of them and can still move around.”
He's right. And that’s what’s scary.
I was skeptical about Aaron Rodgers’ abilities last year when they brought him in. But watching him every week on the HBO show Hard Knocks, along with the practice film, and the limited action he saw in preseason, made me a believer.
Watching how he demanded so much of his guys and the way they were eager to meet his expectations said a lot about how the viewed him as a leader. He knew how to win this league and was going to impart that wisdom a young and eager group. As a fan, I had hope.
Of course, that all came crashing down four plays into the season. But now, here we are again. Even more on the line than there was last year because there is no excuse that can save anyone this year. Playoffs or bust.
Rodgers goes down four plays into this year, and the expectation will remain the same. Playoffs or bust. MetLife turf monster claims all five offensive linemen? Playoffs or bust. Miami and Buffalo go on historic winning streaks? Playoffs or bust. The entire defense holds out for new contracts? Playoffs or bust.
The scary part is that doesn’t seem to faze Rodgers in the least. He is completely confident in his abilities at 40-years-old even coming off an Achilles injury. "If I don't do what I know I'm capable of doing, we're all probably 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."
With plenty of injury concerns as well as some legitimate offensive coaching concerns, the Jets will go as Rodgers goes. It’s nice to see that at this point he hasn’t missed a beat in terms of his confidence or his expectations.
All he needs to do now is stay healthy and the Jets will be alright.
Jets 2024 schedule with predictions for each game: It all depends on health
The New York Jets’ official 2024 schedule is here and now, we have the road map to the regular season. So, naturally, that means it's time to make some way-too-early predictions regarding the entire 17-game schedule. For context starting out, I think all of the results I posted below are under the assumption that the […]
