Why start Aaron Rodgers in New York Jets final preseason game
After a five year preseason hiatus, Aaron Rodgers will start at quarterback in the New York Jets preseason finale against the New York Giants on Saturday.
New York Jets fans sit back, strap in and get ready for the Aaron Rodgers era to begin in the Big Apple. Head Coach Robert Saleh confirmed that their QB1 will start Saturday’s game against the New York Giants to wrap up the regular season.
Battle of New York on Saturday
It’s been a long time since Aaron Rodgers has participated in a preseason game. After 18 years in Green Bay, training camp became a process of just going through the motions for the No. 12 in green and gold. He was in the Frozen Tundra longer than any player, coach or system so he earned the right to not have to suit up for preseason games in the final parts of his Tundra tenure.
That’s not the case in New York anymore. He may be a just over a year removed from winning his fourth MVP in his career, but that doesn’t mean that he will just walk right in to New York and fit as comfortably as he did in Green Bay for almost twenty years.
He has the same offensive coordinator he had with the Packers from 2019-2021, but his receivers are different, his offensive line is different and most importantly he has a new coach.
“He [Rodgers] and I just having conversation. Ultimately, he’ll have his thoughts, too, but for us as an organization, he’s new,” said Saleh explaining the decision to start Rodgers in the preseason finale. “I know he’s been in the league a very long time, but just didn’t want September 11 to be the first time that he stepped into MetLife Stadium [as Jets’ quarterback].”
Jets fans wait is over
While a few extra series on Saturday won’t make all the difference in him getting comfortable in his new surroundings, there is one thing his presence on the field will do in New York. Since news broke of the Rodgers trade to the Big Apple, Jets fans have been itching to get their first look at the future Hall of Famer dressed in green and white.
There are two weeks in-between the Jets last preseason game and their first regular season game. Giving fans just a little taste of Rodgers will scratch that itch as they get a glimpse of what it to come this season.
With all that anticipation, it’s only natural that pressure starts to build. Aaron Rodgers has been in the Super Bowl and he had led countless game winning drives over the course of his career. While he is just about as close to immune to pressure as can be, but you wouldn’t blame him if there are some butterflies when the Jets debut at the Meadowlands on Monday Night Football.
The Ghost of Week 1′s past
Even if the No. 12 is impervious to pressure, his young teammates on the offensive side of the ball aren’t used to this sort of pressure. Rodgers might get a series or two maybe more on Saturday, which will settle the nerves of some of the young guys and make lining up on Monday Night of Week 1 a little easier for the rest of the squad.
The final thing we should remember is, over the last two season’s Rodgers and the Packers were dreadful in Week 1. They got blown out by the Saint in the opening week of 2021 and the Vikings cruised past Green Bay in Week 1 of last season. In those two losses the Packers scored just 10 points total.
While you can’t throw all of the blame on Rodgers’ shoulders or the fact that he didn’t play in the preseason, you can’t ignore the way the last two seasons have started for Rodgers.