There are 1,000 things to analyze from the Jets’ first nine practices of training camp, but only one thing really matters: Aaron Rodgers looked like Aaron Rodgers.
Will that translate into the regular season? We’ll see. But for now, in these first few weeks of training camp, Rodgers has wowed at times with incredible passing, played wits with defenses by changing plays at the line of scrimmage and, most importantly, shown durability.
Fresh off a torn Achilles, the 40-year-old quarterback has played in every first-team game during camp, without any regard for the fact that it’s been 11 months since his devastating injury.
“It seems like he’s never missed a game,” Jets head coach Robert Saleh said Saturday.
Saturday’s “Green and White” practice was particularly grueling, taking place in blistering heat. The Jets scrimmaged for 90 minutes. Rodgers led 11 and 17 drives. He completed 19 of 30 attempts and participated in 42 plays in the scrimmage. He did not throw a touchdown pass, but it was marred by other player errors, including a missed snap by center Joe Tippman inside the 10 yards and a fumble by rookie Isaiah Davis.
Everything about the Jets this season hinges on No. 8. In many ways, this training camp has felt like an extension of last year, with the expectations he brought with him from Green Bay returning. In other ways, things feel different. Rodgers feels like a part of the team, rather than a superstar dropped into the middle of the Jets.
Rodgers and wide receiver Garrett Wilson’s much-publicized physical altercation during practice is a sign of how comfortable the two are with each other now. Wilson would never have said anything back to Rodgers last year.
Florham Park felt like the Sahara on Saturday, but that was the only reason anyone remembered Rodgers’ much-anticipated trip to Egypt in June.
Watching Rodgers run the offense is like watching a master hone his craft. Every day there’s a jaw-dropping pass. On Saturday, it was a back-shoulder pass to Wilson. The day before that, it was a deep pass to Wilson for a touchdown.
“He’s a great guy and he’s in the Hall of Fame for a reason,” Saleh said.
The Jets have high hopes for the team, but they also have issues to sort out: Haason Reddick remains suspended and there are no signs of a rapprochement between the two, Tippmann has struggled to snap the ball to Rodgers in the shotgun formation and there are injuries plaguing the wide receiver corps.
But what the Jets didn’t have when problems arose in the past was a quarterback who could hide all of their flaws. Bad quarterbacks expose flaws. Good quarterbacks hide flaws.
Yes, the Jets need Redick to be in camp. Yes, Tippmann needs to cut down on snaps. But the Jets have had years where they couldn’t afford mistakes. Rodgers gives them some leeway. He’ll make up for their shortcomings.
“I talk to my friends back home all the time, it’s like I’m playing with Michael Jordan and Kobe,” veteran defensive tackle Solomon Thomas said. “He’s one of a kind. I’m happy to be around him. I’m happy to be a part of this team. He’s the best in the game.”
“I mean, the adjustments he makes at the line of scrimmage are incredible. What he sees, what he hears, what he notices, how aware he is. You’ve never seen that before.”
You can analyze the Jets all you want right now and worry about this issue or that issue.
All that matters is that Aaron Rodgers looks like Aaron Rodgers, which should put a smile on any Jets fan’s face.
