Aaron Rodgers is throwing passes with his usual power, moving around as needed, and taking control of the New York Jets’ offense.
After nine practices in training camp, the 40-year-old quarterback has many people forgetting about the torn Achilles tendon that ended his season after just four plays last year.
“He looks like he never missed any time,” coach Robert Saleh said after the team’s 90-minute scrimmage on a hot Saturday.
Rodgers has been consistent throughout camp and has had standout moments, similar to his first camp with the Jets last summer. Despite recovering from a serious injury, he’s been practicing daily and is making New York hopeful about his performance nearly 11 months after surgery.
“He looks really good,” Saleh said.
During the Jets’ scrimmage, Rodgers didn’t throw any touchdown passes — one drive ended because of a high snap from Joe Tippmann that Rodgers couldn’t handle, and another ended due to a fumble by rookie Isaiah Davis. However, Rodgers managed to move New York’s starting offense effectively, with three of his four drives ending in field goals.
Saleh mentioned that he and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich reviewed offenses from around the league when they first joined the Jets in 2021 to understand their strategies and how to defend against them.
“We would always just be dumbfounded at why Green Bay would always have eight or nine drives in a game,” Saleh said about Rodgers’ former team. “And today was an example — just so methodical down the field. An 18-play drive, an 11-play drive, a seven-play drive. Just long, methodical drives that eat up clock and keep the game moving.
“He’s an impressive dude and he’s a Hall of Famer for a reason.”
Earlier this week, Rodgers reflected on the injury he suffered against the Bills, saying there were “a lot of disappointing, heartbreaking times.”
He admitted he wasn’t sure about his playing future right away but aimed to recover quickly to potentially return late in the season if the Jets were in playoff contention. Once it was clear they weren’t heading to the playoffs, Rodgers focused on being ready for this season.
