Aaron Rodgers and the Jets are working hard in training camp in preparation for what could be a big season in New York.
The new Jets quarterback has brought a renewed sense of optimism to the club, but it’s not just about him.
NFL Insider Brian Baldinger and Carl Dukes of Audacy’s original podcast “In The Huddle” talked about the buzz around the New York Jets and what it could mean for the coming season.
“There’s a great buzz,” Baldinger said (1:50 in player above). “NFL Films, guys with the black shirts they’re everywhere. And they’re going to be there for six weeks … maybe even seven straight weeks… Nathaniel Hackett is calling plays. His dad, Paul Hackett, is out there. Paul recruited and coached Curtis Martin, a great Jet. Curtis is there. Tiki Barber is there. The buzz is real.”
The Jets haven’t made the playoffs since losing their second straight AFC Championship game in 2010. But with Rodgers under center, there are some expectations this season for the Jets.
“I talked to Woody Johnson for a long time afterward,” Baldinger continued. “He’s been there for 23 years. He’s never felt anything like this.”
While the Jets had those two playoff runs to the AFC Championship game in the 2009 and 2010 seasons, they’ve only won a total of six playoff games in those 23 years.
Rodgers and the Jets are hoping to add to that total this season. Perhaps he could follow in the footsteps of recent quarterbacks that won a Super Bowl after a change of scenery.
“It’s more than just Aaron Rodgers. Maybe this is the time,” Baldinger said. “We saw Matt Stafford go to Los Angeles and win a Super Bowl. We saw Tom Brady pack up, go to Tampa, and win a Super Bowl. Maybe that’s what happens.”
Baldinger took in Jets training camp firsthand and came away impressed with the way Rodgers was connecting with reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year Garrett Wilson.
“They haven’t seen this in New York. They haven’t seen a guy that can make that throw, that can make that call. They just haven’t seen it,” he said. “So it gets you like ‘OK, maybe this can happen. Maybe Aaron Rodgers is the difference.’”
The Jets have the pieces on the defensive side of the ball as well with reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year Sauce Gardner leading the charge in the secondary while Quinnen Williams anchors the line.
While what Rodgers and the Jets are doing in practice is exciting, it is still just practice. But the feeling around training camp is real.
“This is about the buy-in. You and I have been to many camps through our careers,” Dukes said. “There is a different buzz when your team is good and guys know their team is good…
"I think that’s what you're describing with the Jets. We’re not telling you the Jets are going to go to the Super Bowl. What we’re saying is there is a buy-in that they necessarily haven’t had.”
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