ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Aaron Rodgers had something to say at the end of his media appearances this week.
The Jets quarterback spent 10 minutes talking about his future, his team's motivation going forward and his frustration with Garrett Wilson.
Now, Rodgers had something positive to say.
“Finally, I would like to give a special shout out to a man who does the right thing, not just sometimes, but always. [safety] Jarius Monroe, just promoted to the active roster,” Rodgers said. “So, shout out to Jarius, he’s a phenomenal young player.”
It was unusual to hear a high-profile player like Rodgers go out of his way to spotlight what is essentially the 53rd man on the roster.
But Monroe is a rare man.
The 24-year-old undrafted free agent from Tulane has a big personality, and it shows in the locker room, on the practice field and in the meeting room.
So when interim coach Jeff Ulbrich called Monroe to the team on Tuesday and announced that he was signing him from the practice squad to the active roster, the team cheered.
“It was amazing,” Monroe said, before admitting how nervous she was. “I was sweating like crazy.”
Monroe then listened to what Rodgers had said about him to the media.
“It meant a lot,” Monroe said. “He's a Hall of Fame quarterback and he's also an all-around great human being. I feel like a lot of times people don't know who he really is. He's actually a great human being, He's a great teammate. A lot of people in this building are rooting for him because of his personality. He's a great leader. I follow him every day. We have our own jokes, we have competition at practice, and I'm on the scout team year-round.
“It just means a lot to me that I cut my tail off and he noticed that and he’s such a great guy.”
Monroe said he tries to make his teammates smile.
He believes that mental health is important for players to perform well.
“I try to transfer that positivity to my teammates every day,” Monroe said. “I feel like that's my role right now. I want to be a star one day. I feel like I can be the best in the world one day. Now that that's my role, I take it very seriously. ”
Ulbrich said Monroe has a big influence on his teammates.
“It's crazy to think that an undrafted free agent safety would impact a team like this,” Ulbrich said. “It's amazing the impact he had on everyone on this team on a team that has so many extraordinary players with extraordinary careers.” Have you ever seen anything like that? I don't know. ”
The Jets started K. Greg Zuerlein from injured reserve on Saturday, and he will be the kicker against Buffalo on Sunday.
They also promoted DL Bruce Hector from the practice squad.
