Aaron Rodgers was feeling right at home with the New York Jets before he tweaked his right calf at the start of organized team activities on Tuesday.
The injury is minor, and Rodgers said he shifted to taking a “vet day” but remained on the field for the workouts to watch backup Zach Wilson operate the offense.
“I just tweaked my calf in a little pre-practice conditioning,” Rodgers said with an ear-to-ear grin. “I don’t know. I don’t think it’s too serious.”
A momentary setback in the grand scheme, Rodgers said he’s feeling more confident and comfortable with his decision to join the Jets in a trade last month from the Green Bay Packers.
“I have an excitement about coming down Jets Drive. Every day, there’s been something that’s been a special sign that reminds me I’m in the right place,” Rodgers said Tuesday afternoon.
Rodgers hasn’t participated in OTAs in three years, spending offseasons away from Green Bay to train and dabble in other activities.
He said he felt it was important to attend this week to assist first-year offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett’s installation of the offense. Rodgers played in the system with the Packers, where Hackett was an assistant coach.
Rodgers said he’s enjoying his exposure to head coach Robert Saleh.
“I’ve been telling friends of mine when they ask what it’s like, I really enjoy the freedom of expression. Guys are themselves all the time,” Rodgers said. “He allows for the silliness at times. The latitude of that personal expression, which is so important … he does a good job balancing the accountability with the freedom for guys to be themselves.
“It’s simple too. This game can get complicated by the gurus who often believe they’ve made up football. There’s a lot of them around the league. They’re all good-hearted people. But at its core, this is a simple game. Rob does a good job of keeping things simple with us.”
–Field Level Media