New York Jets training camp is just weeks away and as quarterback Aaron Rodgers prepares for his first camp with a new team, the Jets are increasingly confident he’ll be a much better player than the NFL saw in 2022.
The Green Bay Packers decided to move on from Rodgers this offseason coming off his worst season as the team’s starting quarterback. The four-time NFL MVP posted a 91.1 passer rating, his lowest as a starter, completing just 64.6 percent of his passes and posting one of the worst interception rates (2.2 percent) in his career.
- Aaron Rodgers stats (2022): 64.6% completion rate, 26-12 TD-INT, 91.1 QB rating
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Many attributed Rodgers’ struggles to the broken thumb he suffered on his throwing hand in Week 5 against the New York Giants. However, New York holds a belief that what happened to the Packers’ offense last season was also a reflection of Rodgers’ commitment to the team.
On Kevin Clark’s Slow News Day podcast, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated said that the Jets believe Rodgers will be better for them in 2023 than last year for Green Bay because of his commitment to football and the team.
In his final season with the Packers, Rodgers skipped OTAs and didn’t report to mandatory minicamp. It proved costly as Green Bay’s coaching staff eased in young wide receivers, with the veteran quarterback not showing up until July to build chemistry with Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson in their rookie seasons.
The Jets also might not be the only team that believes commitment level was part of the problem. Breer also noted that the Packers held the belief that had Rodgers participated in spring practices, last season would’ve gone differently.
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Fortunately for the Jets, Rodgers has been there for both voluntary and mandatory workouts as he looks to build rapport with Garrett Wilson, Corey Davis and Mecole Hardman Jr. Just as important, he’s fully recovered from the thumb injury that bothered him last year.
Rodgers will have a better receiving corps with New York than he did in Green Bay and being reunited with offensive coordinator Nathanial Hackett is another factor in his favor. However, the 39-year-old quarterback will face the new challenge of starting behind an offensive line that isn’t on the same level as the one that protected him in Green Bay.
