Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers is already saying things he doesn’t mean. Is this a bad omen for the 2023 season?
New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers is living his best life. He’s making appearances at hockey and basketball games in NYC and recently got re-acquainted with an old Packers friend. He’s looking for long-term housing in the city, has hung out with several of his Jets star teammates, and probably enjoys the spotlight shining so brightly on him all the time.
The only thing that can ruin what he has going for him is: himself.
Within weeks of touching down in New York, the veteran quarterback had already decided he won’t be attending the Jets’ offseason activities in full.
In a Tuesday appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Rodgers said he’ll be present for “more than half” of the remaining workouts. Which is more than he was at in Green Bay last offseason, but still not all that much.
Aaron Rodgers plans on skipping a handful of Jets’ OTAs
Cause for concern? It’s common for veterans to skip voluntary offseason workouts, but given that Rodgers is starting on a new NFL team in 2023, one would think he would stay in New York for as much as possible to build chemistry and develop rapport with his Jets teammates.
NBC Sports’ Mike Florio compares Rodgers’ unbothered nonchalance to Patrick Mahomes’ gung-ho attitude toward OTAs:
"Last year, Mahomes’s willingness to go well above and beyond the call helped prepare the team to move forward without Tyreek Hill. In addition to being present for the offseason workouts, Mahomes gathered pass-catchers in Dallas and shared his insights regarding their skills and abilities with the coaching staff."
Florio seems to suggest Rodgers isn’t setting up the Jets to succeed by taking himself out of offseason activities, and it’s hard to argue with that logic.
If Rodgers really cared about turning the Jets into a Super Bowl contender, he wouldn’t be jetting out west and wasting precious minutes this offseason. He wouldn’t even be giving Pat McAfee the time of day with these exclusive interviews because he would working with the Jets, day and night, to get the team where it needs and wants to be.
Rodgers’ choice not to participate in the Packers’ OTAs last offseason hurt Green Bay. His choice to half-heartedly dip his fingers in the Jets’ offseason workouts will likely hurt the franchise, too.
His body, his choice, we guess.