Aaron Rodgers Calls New York Jets Practices 'Hardest' of Last Eight Years of Career

The New York Jets quarterback gave a promising update on how hard his team is working.

East Rutherford, NJ -- August 10, 2024 -- Aaron Rodgers at the end of the game as the Washington Commanders came to MetLife Stadium to play the New York Jets in the first preseason game of the 2024 season. The Jets topped the Commanders 20-17. / Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

The New York Jets will be tested multiple times throughout the 2024 campaign. If they have the season they're looking to have, the Jets will be playing some of the top teams in the NFL during the playoffs. However, before that's the case, they need to work hard during practice.

There's no such thing as an easy practice at the professional level, especially in the NFL. Still, there are ways to work harder oftentimes. According to reports, New York is working harder than ever before.

Aaron Rodgers said the Jets practices have been the hardest he's had "in the last seven or eight years" of his career, according to Andrew Crane of the New York Post. Robert Saleh reportedly told him that starters were getting "somewhere in the neighborhood of 300 more reps" than they were during camp last year.

The all-time great can also feel that.

“And it feels like it,” Rodgers said Tuesday. “But it’s good. I think it’s gonna allow us to maybe be a little more ready. We’ve been fortunate with injuries. We haven’t had a ton of injuries so far, so I like it. It’s been great. You talk to the older guys, not a lot of complaints from any of those guys. Young guys don’t know any better.”

To hear that New York is working this hard during the preseason is a great sign. They seem to understand what's at stake this season.

If they don't accomplish their goals of at least making the playoffs, it's tough to picture a scenario where it happens in the near future. This is their best chance for many reasons, but most importantly, Rodgers could be on his way out after 2024.

He hasn't indicated that he'll retire after the season, but he's only getting older in his career, which raises some concerns about his future in the NFL.

With all of the talent on the Jets' roster on both sides of the football, if they can also add the element of playing harder than the other teams they play, there's no reason for them not to find plenty of success.

Ultimately, it's a step in the right direction that they're working this hard, but it'll all be determined by what they do on the field.

That'll start on September 9, when they take on the San Francisco 49ers in San Francisco. The 49ers are a Super Bowl contending team, so this game will be a good indication of where they stand.