Aaron Rodgers has opened up on how he has played more of a coaching role with Zach Wilson so far at the New York Jets, suggesting his arrival will leave a lasting legacy.
Rodgers was traded to the Jets after an agreement was reached with the Green Bay Packers. Several draft picks were traded in exchange for Rodgers, who had spent the last 18 years of his NFL career in Wisconsin.
As a result of the Rodgers trade, previous starting quarterback Wilson is likely to drop down to back-up for the 2023 season. The Jets drafted Wilson with the second-overall pick in 2021, and had been starting quarterback in his first two seasons.
With the 2023 regular just a few months away, and pre-season in the not-too-distant future, Rodgers and Wilson have been working together during the Jets organised team activities (OTAs). Rodgers went into more detail on what his role in the team is beyond being the starting QB, and how he hopes to help Wilson become a better quarterback in the future.
Speaking to reports in a press conference on Friday, Rodgers said: “The key for him (Wilson) is just growth and learning, and then building everything back up.
“I think we strip down some of the fundamentals and we see him throw the ball on time, and make accurate throws and good decisions.
“Sometimes the best thing that happened is what happened, like when I popped my calf and I’m on the shelf for a few days. So then he gets to take a tonne of reps, make some mistakes and learn from them.
“Him and I had a good friendship coming in, we spent some time together off the field, and I have a lot of love for him and even more respect for the way he’s handled things and made me feel welcome.
“And also he’s been in my head pocket learning, asking a tonne of questions in the locker room and in the media room after hours. And I love that, because I feel like that's a big part of my role here. Not just play at a super high level for this team and help us win, but to make sure that he’s ready for when his time comes, and I really enjoy that opportunity.”
The Jets have four pre-season games in August, which begins with the Hall of Fame game against the Cleveland Browns. There will then be further pre-season games against the Carolina Panthers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and local rivals New York Giants
From there, all the attention for the Jets will be on the Week One opener versus the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football on September 12. The game was selected for primetime coverage on what is likely to be Rodgers’ NFL debut for the Jets.
