When the Jets made the blockbuster trade to acquire Aaron Rodgers in April, the biggest risk that came with the deal is that the team has no idea how much longer he wants to play.
Over the past few years, Rodgers has spent the early part of the offseason contemplating retirement. As things stand now, the four-time MVP hasn’t said whether he’s going to stick around for a second season with the Jets, but based on how he was talking on Thursday, it sure sounds like he’s already looking toward the future in New York.
During his first interview of training camp, Rodgers pointed out that the Jets have a good Super Bowl window to work with.
“When you have so many great players on rookie deals, it’s pretty exciting, knowing you can do something,” Rodgers told the media. “You got a good window, it’s not just a one-year thing where you can be competitive, which is fun.”
Although Rodgers didn’t come out and say that he’ll be with the Jets next season, it does seem like he has his eyes on returning to New York in 2024. Of course, before that can happen, the two sides will have to re-work his contract. Under the terms of his current deal, Rodgers is scheduled to have a cap hit of more than $107 million next season, which would eat up nearly half of the Jets’ salary cap. Obviously, that’s not feasible, so if Rodgers does return, his contract will have to be restructured.
Rodgers has now been in New York for nearly three months, and so far, he seems to like everything about his new team.
“It’s the energy,” Rodgers said of what he likes. “I love being around the young energy, that excitement. There’s a great feel to this team of guys who are young and super talented, on their first contract.”
The one thing about playing with young players is that you sometimes have to be open to teaching them and that seems to be a role that Rodgers is embracing.
“I do know that, being an older player on the team, that’s part of the responsibility, to teach a little bit more,” Rodgers said.
Although Rodgers is heading into his first season with the Jets, he knows the offense well enough that he can even teach that to his teammates. The former Packers QB said that the offense he’ll be running in New York was developed in Green Bay back in 2020. At that time, current Jets offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett was Rodgers’ OC in Green Bay.
“I know the offense really well,” Rodgers said of Hackett’s system in New York. “We kind of collaborated in the offseason of 2020 and this is a lot of the stuff that we did in 2020 and 2021, so it’s exciting to be back in this style that I know really well.”
Rodgers also said that going to work every day actually excites him.
“Every day, I’ve been waking up since I’ve been here, it’s just been exciting to come down the driveway and to come to the facility because everything is new and exciting,” Rodgers said.
The 39-year-old sounds reinvigorated and as long as he can physically handle the 2023 season, it wouldn’t be surprising at all to see him back in Jets uniform in 2024. Speaking of his Jets uniform, Rodgers wore his for the first time this week and you can see the first pictures here.
Go to Source
Author: John Breech
July 20, 2023 | 3:43 pm
