As NFL insider Connor Hughes of SNY mentioned, the offense of the New York Jets endured its “worst period” of summer training camp practices on Monday.
Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers later appeared on the ESPN Radio “Bart & Hahn Show” and attempted to pour cold water over concerns related to his offense ahead of the club’s preseason finale against the New York Giants this coming Saturday.
“There were four or five plays [Monday] that were anchor-point plays that are going to show up later in the season, that we’ll be able to recall, we’ll go back to something that happened that’s gonna allow us to make the proper reaction down the line,” Rodgers explained, as shared by Andy Vasquez of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com. “And I feel great about that and I’m really happy about it.”
Rodgers declining to sound alarms following an August practice is hardly surprising, but it’s worth noting that offensive struggles previously brushed aside by the future Hall of Famer and by star wide receiver Garrett Wilson seemingly haven’t disappeared at this late stage of training camp. It’s also public knowledge that the Jets at least explored hiring somebody to replace offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett this offseason before they ultimately stuck with Hackett.
In short, there are reasons to believe a unit that routinely betrayed the Jets throughout the 2023 campaign could once again be an issue this coming fall.
“Sometimes in media, talk, a lot – maybe too much – is put on certain reps and…things that happen, and win-loss matrix,” Rodgers said during the radio show chat. “When in fact, you look at [Monday]: It wasn’t the most efficient practice for us. But it was one of our better learning experience practices. There’s stuff that happened that is going to go a long way – there’s little subtle things that you wouldn’t even think are big at all. But checking to certain things, and guys making the proper response.”
Of course, one will never know what the 2023 Jets could have been had Rodgers not suffered a torn Achilles four offensive snaps into the regular season opener. The 40-year-old clearly thinks outsiders should “r-e-l-a-x” regarding New York’s offense ahead of Labor Day, but questions about his ability to fully bounce back from his injury will continue to hover over the Jets if he produces a dud in the Week 1 matchup at the San Francisco 49ers on Sept. 9.
