Aaron Rodgers Looks Fully Rejuvenated at Jets’ Training Camp

When he’s not dropping dimes and mentoring youngsters, the four-time MVP is carrying out thankless duties usually reserved for rookies and assistant coaches.

Our 19th camp report is from Florham Park, N.J. Here’s what we got from the Jets …

1. The buzz here is undeniable, and it’s here because of one guy—and that’s the obvious one. Aaron Rodgers, from what I could see (and hear), is energized and out to prove something, and he made a wow throw on Thursday that, well, probably only a handful of guys on Earth could. On that one, Randall Cobb was running to the corner while well-covered, and the rush was bearing down. Rodgers dropped his arm angle and flicked a bullet probably 30 yards downfield. Cobb adjusted to it, and made a spectacular, spinning catch. It was an example of one thing the coaches here have said, and that’s been true forever—Rodgers is the kind of the quarterback that can make a staff right even when it’s wrong. 

The other thing that’s noticeable on Rodgers is just how engaged he looks. Late in practice during a walkthrough period, he grabbed a pinnie and joined a bunch of assistants and trainers on the scout-team defense, giving the second offense a look while holding a bag as a linebacker. This deep into camp, I don’t think you’re faking stuff like that.

Rodgers looks like a new man in New York :: Alex Hicks Jr./USA Today Network

2. For what it’s worth, Cobb has been really good, better than the Jets expected, but the real star of camp at his position has, indeed, been Garrett Wilson. What the coaches have seen from Wilson is a guy who’s now carrying himself like a veteran, and showing elite route-running and rare ability to separate. Rodgers quickly recognized that and took Wilson under his wing. 

Looking at this historically, there’s a track record of Hall of Fame quarterbacks switching teams, and it leading to a young receiver breaking out—with Brett Favre (Sidney Rice), Peyton Manning (Demaryius Thomas/Eric Decker) and Tom Brady (Chris Godwin) out there as solid test cases. The Jets believe Wilson has a shot to make an even bigger leap than those guys did, and he was already really good.

3. The front office and coaches feel great about the team speed here, and the group’s athleticism is really apparent on the defensive front. Former first-round pick Jermaine Johnson has come in on a mission, in fantastic shape and explosive as ever. And Quinnen Williams, in case you’re wondering how getting paid affected him, has had his best camp—so dominant that it’s been hard for the offense to get work in at times, to the point where the coaches have had to consider pulling him in spots. Last year, the Jets carried 10 defensive linemen, and it looks like they’re gonna go that deep again.

4. There’s a good group of undrafted free agents here, and three or four might actually make the team. And there’s one from last year that’s been an absolute star in camp: safety Tony Adams. The Illinois product is pushing Adrian Amos to start at the position, and is one of a number of young vets on that side of the ball (joining Johnson and linebacker Jamien Sherwood) that have taken a step forward, and, again, add to the overall speed of a swarming group.

5. Alright, now the caveat—if there’s one area that could render all the optimism here moot, it’d be the offensive line, and in particular the tackle position. The Jets are banking on Duane Brown, 38 at the end of the month, at left tackle. Brown played with two tears in his rotator cuff last year, which is really incredible (if not unprecedented for his position). The plan is for Brown, coming off surgery to fix the injury, to get checked and, if all goes well with the check-up, return to practice next week. And that he’s healthier than he was last year is huge plus. That said, holding up at his age at that position isn’t easy. 

Then, there’s Mekhi Becton, whom the team has flipped over to the right side. Becton’s in better shape this year, and was always talented, but isn’t exactly the picture of reliability. The good news is that the team’s got a lot of promise inside. Rookie Joe Tippman is pushing Connor McGovern at center, and the team is in good shape at guard with Laken Tomlinson and Alijah Vera-Tucker entrenched. Also, Vera-Tucker could move out to tackle if need be. And the Jets are cross-training Tippman at guard, so he could move there if Vera-Tucker slides outside. Of course, that wouldn’t be ideal, but there might be some mixing and matching before the Jets find their best five.