Don’t bank on seeing Aaron Rodgers in a preseason game.
Any thoughts that Rodgers might want to test out his rehabbed torn Achilles against a live pass rush before the games count for real were almost entirely put to bed Tuesday by Jets coach Robert Saleh when he was asked if the quarterback will play before Week 1.
“My instinct is no,” Saleh said, “but I want to leave it open. That third game is the one where we’re deciding.”
It sounds as if Saleh is leaving the door slightly ajar in case Rodgers pushes him to play, which is what happened last season under different circumstances.
Back then, Rodgers, who hadn’t taken a preseason snap since 2018, wanted a tune-up as a way to build chemistry with his new teammates after being traded from the Packers.
Rodgers threw a touchdown pass to Garrett Wilson on his second and final series against the Giants.
If he talks his way into the lineup against Saleh’s better judgment — a season-opening injury to Rodgers could derail a playoffs-or-bust season — it again will be against the Giants (on Aug. 24) and not against either the Commanders (Aug. 10) or Panthers (Aug. 17).
“He definitely won’t play in the first two,” Saleh said. “The discussion on the third one we just haven’t quite had yet.”
Saleh is considering playing some cemented starters such as safety Chuck Clark, who is returning from a missed season due to a torn ACL.
But the Jets will have one joint practice against each of their three preseason opponents before the game.
“Those preseason practices are so game-like,” Saleh said. “The only difference is you are not tackling, so we feel comfortable we are getting the game-like reps we need in a controlled environment.”
Another day, another missed practice and increasing fines for holdout Haason Reddick.
“Reddick has played a lot of football,” defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich said. “When he gets here, he’ll be fine. We’ll get him up to speed. [His former] coaches rave about not just the player he is but the human being he is and the work that he puts in. But until [he reports] let’s celebrate the heck out of the guys here working their tail off.”
The good vibes that the offense established during the non-padded practices have disappeared after two defense-dominated practices to start this week.
The offense so far has been “inconsistent,” according to much-maligned coordinator Nathaniel Hackett.
At least the Jets’ practice tempo is encouraging. They ranked last in the NFL in first downs per game (15.3) last season, and Hackett harped on not getting enough plays.
“I do love that we’ve had more plays,” Hackett said. “As a coach there’s so many things you want to keep working.”
It is fair to question whether the offense should be running smoother in Year 2 under Hackett, but he attributed hiccups to “a lot of new players … getting up to speed.”
Saleh said the operation points like “getting in and out of the huddle, getting lined up, receivers knowing what to do, all that looks much cleaner.”
You have to start somewhere.
