New York Jets Superstar Spends Pat McAfee Appearance Giving OL Their Props

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers has felt as well protected as he’s felt in quite some time with his offensive line.

Sep 19, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) throws against the New England Patriots in the 1st quarter at MetLife Stadium. / Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers has gotten plenty of rest the past few days, but a new week of preparation is ahead for Sunday’s game against the Denver Broncos.

But, before he headed back to the practice field, Rodgers spent part of his Tuesday with ESPN’s Pat McAfee during his weekly appearance on the show.

He had plenty to say, as always. But he spent plenty of time praising his offensive line for their protection in the past three games.

"John Simpson is at an element,” Rodgers said. “The attitude that he's brought, that Morgan Moses and Tyron Smith has brought, the growth I've seen from AVT (Alijah Vera-Tucker) and Joe Tippmann. They've become the bodyguards, the police of the team, which is really important.”

Aaron Rodgers with BIG praise for the #Jets OL:

"John Simpson is at an element. The attitude that he's brought, that Morgan Moses & Tyron Smith has brought, the growth I've seen from AVT & Joe Tippmann. They've become the bodyguards, the police of the team, which is really… pic.twitter.com/XO6Xiiqpa7

— Harrison Glaser (@NYJetsTFMedia) September 24, 2024

The “police” did a fantastic job keeping Rodgers upright against the New England Patriots, as he was sacked just one time. He wasn’t pressured often and he even got out of the pocket several times to run the football virtually untouched.

Why is the offensive line such an important piece of the puzzle? Well, Rodgers is 40 and coming off a torn Achilles tendon. The Jets want to avoid another situation where he has to miss time due to injury.

But he also has experience on teams that had quality offensive line play and says it’s critical to the Jets’ chances to return to the playoffs for the first time in a decade.

“The best teams that I've been on, the OL polices the squad. They have each other’s back, they pick people up off the field, and they're the first ones in to back up a brother. I mean Morgan and John did that for me at Tennessee when (Titans defender) Jeff Simmons gave me a hard shoulder, the first one in there was Morgan and the second person in there was John.”

This is part of the reason the Jets (2-1) worked to remake the offensive line in the offseason.

The Jets signed Smith, a left tackle, to a free-agent deal. The eight-time Pro Bowler hasn’t made it through a whole season since 2014 due to injuries. But when he’s on the field he is one of the game’s best pass protectors.

New York did the same thing with the right side by trading draft picks to acquire veteran tackle Morgan Moses. He had three solid games before he suffered a knee injury during the Patriots game and is expected to miss a couple of weeks. In his place rookie Olu Fashanu will likely start this weekend.

Simpson also joined the Jets this season after a year with the Ravens and three seasons with Las Vegas.

Vera-Tucker and Tippmann are the homegrown linemen that are helping to protect Rodgers and, along with Simpson, moving the interior of the defense to help the running game.