While Aaron Rodgers is not expected to play during the preseason for the New York Jets, it sounds like things are going very well in his return from a torn Achilles.
All offseason long, there have been major questions about how Rodgers would look. Would he lose a step? Is he truly healthy enough to make the kind of impact that the Jets need him to make?
According to New York head coach Robert Saleh, Rodgers has picked up right where he left off.
“He looks like he never missed any time. He looks really good.”
Saleh went on to talk about how the offense looked during Saturday’s training camp practice.
“We would always just be dumbfounded at why Green Bay would always have eight or nine drives in a game. 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 get the game moving. He’s an impressive dude and he’s a Hall of Famer for a reason.”
Basically, everything sounds like it’s falling into place for Rodgers. If he is able to get back to playing at his pre-injury level, nothing is holding the Jets back from being a Super Bowl contender.
Rodgers has come back to an offense that is much better than it was last season. New York went out in the offseason and was aggressive in adding talent.
Being able to work with weapons like Garrett Wilson, Mike Williams, Breece Hall, Malachi Corley, and Allen Lazard gives Rodgers a much easier job. The offensive line improved drastically as well, especially with the addition of star veteran left tackle Tyron Smith.
Assuming Rodgers stays healthy and the injury doesn’t have a lasting impact on his physical ability, he should have another massive season in 2024. He’s set up to potentially compete for another MVP award.
It will be interesting to watch how the future Hall of Famer quarterback plays in Week 1 on Monday Night Football against the San Francisco 49ers. There aren’t many matchups that would be more difficult for a first game back from such a serious injury.
However, Rodgers has always found ways to overcome adversity and play well. This might be the biggest adversity he’s faced, but it sounds like he’s overcoming it well.