Jets to Practice With Packers During Training Camp

The New York Jets will reportedly travel to practice with the Green Bay Packers during training camp, leading up to the Jets Packers preseason game on August 21

With training camp less than a month away, the Jets are making plans to prepare for the upcoming season. On Friday, the New York Post reported that Gang Green will take part in joint practices with the Green Bay Packers on August 18th and 19th. 

New York was already slated to travel to Lambeau Field for a preseason game on August 21, so the timing is logical for both franchises. 

Scheduling around the matchup certainly played a role in the two teams linking up, but there are also strong connections between the two squads. Packers head coach Matt LaFleur is the brother of Jets offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur. LaFleur also lived with head coach Robert Saleh while the two were coaching at Central Michigan together, and they remain close friends. 

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The sessions should provide valuable experience for the slew of young players on the Jets roster heading into the 2021 campaign, without the pressure of performing under the microscope of thousands of fans. A franchise that has reached three consecutive NFC Championship games, the formidable Packers are a perennial contender, and will serve as an early test for the revamped Jets squad. 

It is of course unclear whether quarterback Aaron Rodgers will participate, or whether he will still be a member of the Packers at that point. Regardless, Green Bay’s offense has a multitude of weapons that will give Saleh a good idea of where his defense stands near the beginning of the regular season. 

On the offensive side of the ball, rookie Zach Wilson will be forced to grapple with a strong pass rush that features Preston Smith and Za’Darius Smith, both likely to be bearing down on Wilson frequently. As the rookie QB has discussed in offseason press conferences, adjusting to the speed of the NFL is one of his biggest challenges. Getting early exposure to a top-tier defense before the season will be huge for Wilson’s confidence. 

These practices may not seem particularly notable now, but they should pay major dividends later on in the season for a young team looking to establish a new identity. Saleh was smart to use his connections with LaFleur to create an early learning opportunity for his players. 

MORE:

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• Bryce Hall Prepared to Take Major Sophomore Leap in Jets Secondary
• PFF Ranks Jets' Roster Third-Worst in NFL

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