Will Aaron Rodgers play in the 2023 Hall of Fame game against the Browns?

Jets fans, Browns fans and football fans alike, hang on just a little longer. The preseason begins in a matter of hours, and what used to seem like an eternity is now just a nights sleep away. Jets fans will be particularly excited considering they became AFC contenders in the blink of an eye with the signing of Aaron Rodgers, but when is he going to make his debut for the J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS?

Not Rodgers time to shine just yet

If you are expecting to see the new No. 12 in New York under center during the Hall of Fame Game on Thursday night, you are in for disappointment. He is all the buzz in the Big Apple, and that’s one of the reasons that he won’t be calling plays in the Jets preseason opener in Canton. Robert Salah is not going to risk his four time MVP winning quarterback by throwing him into the fire on the first series of the first possession of the very first game of the preseason.

Of course this shouldn’t surprise us considering that Rodgers almost never plays in the preseason. The last time he did take snaps during an exhibition game was back in 2018, but even then it was a few plays and that was it. Back then he had a much stronger connection with his wide receivers, his offensive line, and the whole unit after spending his entire career in Green Bay.

This year, things are different. He has a new offensive coach, and new offensive coordinator, a new line, and new receivers. Which means the training camp practices aren’t likely to be enough of a run through to get the offensive unit running smoothly.

Jets, Browns to play four preseason games

We also have to remember that the Jets started their preseason later than any team in the league. Both rookies and veterans reported on the 29th of July, not even a week before the Hall of Fame Game on the 3rd of August. Coaches will be more worried with getting a look at some of the guys lower down the food chain then they will be with getting a first look at the future hall of famer. Not to mention the Jets and the Browns will be playing four preseason games while the rest of the league will be playing just three.

Rodgers is a living legend and will most likely go down as one of the top ten quarterbacks of all time. He may not need preseason, but his young group of receivers do, and so does the offensive line that hasn’t been particularly impressive protecting the quarterback of the last few years, who ever the QB may have been.

So it is likely we will see No. 12 lining up under center before the 11th of September when the Jets play the Buffalo Bills on to kick off Monday Night Football in Week 1. After all Rodgers and the Packers were plagued by some putrid offense scoring just one TD in Week 1 over the last two years, losing to New Orleans 38-3 in 2021 and 23-7 to Minnesota last year.

Rodgers’ take on preseason

The Jets have yet to come out and state when we can expect Rodgers taking snaps in the preseason, but you have to imagine that if he is going to get some playing time and more than just a few snaps. Rodgers has stated in the past he doesn’t see anything good coming from playing a sole series during preseason games.

“I think it’s kind of a no-win situation to the outside of the building. If somebody gets hurt [it’s], ‘I can’t believe they played our guys.’ But if we go out and have a stinker [it’s], ‘I can’t believe they didn’t play them.’ You’ve just got to do what’s best for the squad, and Matt’s going to do that. He’s going to lean on the leaders of the football team and if he feels like we need to go out and play, we’ll go out and play. But I don’t want to just go out and play three plays. That, to me, is a waste of time.”