Aaron Rodgers rolled to his left, saw no one open, tucked the ball under his arm and ran.
The Jets franchise weaved through the defense in Tuesday’s lengthy and spirited practice, and broke free for what looked like it would be a big gainer if this were a real game.
Rodgers ran the length of the field to the end zone and playfully placed the ball on the goal line before trotting to the sideline as the fans in the grandstands voiced their approval.
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The quarterbacks, of course, wear red jerseys, which deems them untouchable by defensive hands, so just how far Rodgers may have run if this were a real game isn’t known.
These kinds of plays, while positive gains, are not the ones coach Robert Saleh wants to see Rodgers making once the 2024 season becomes real with the Sept. 9 season opener at San Francisco.
Saleh and everyone associated with the Jets — who have the vision of Rodgers rupturing his left Achilles on the fourth play of the 2023 season forever seared into memory — want to see him making plays with his right arm, not his legs.
No decision has been made official, at least not publicly, about whether Rodgers will play a down in preseason, but there are significant indicators he’ll remain in bubble wrap until the regular-season opener.
I believe that’s a mistake.
Rodgers, who didn’t play in the preseason opener against the Commanders, won’t play at Carolina on Saturday either.
The day in question here is the Aug. 24 game against the Giants, the Jets’ third preseason game.
When it comes to deciding on whether or not to play in a preseason game, only Rodgers truly knows what’s best for him. His résumé affords him the respect and credibility to decide exactly what that is, and I certainly defer to him on that.
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He didn’t ask me, nor does he need to, but I believe Rodgers should play a series or two in the Giants game.
I don’t think he needs to play in the preseason, but I believe it would be highly beneficial for him to do so based on a few things.
Firstly, it will have been 11 months since he was in a game, and experiencing the feeling of a game day, in uniform, with defensive players in full chase trying to sack him, would be a good icebreaker exercise to help knock off the rust after a year of grueling rehab.
Secondly, Rodgers will line up behind what is essentially a completely new offensive line, with center Joe Tippmann and right guard Alijah Vera-Tucker the only returning linemen from the 2023 starting group. Both starting tackles, Tyron Smith and Morgan Moses, and left guard John Simpson, weren’t on the team last year.
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Rodgers playing with them for a series or two against the Giants would benefit all involved, not to mention the fact Tippmann has had the snapping yips all summer and some game day experience together could be critical to the second-year center’s confidence and Rodgers’ confidence in him.
Rodgers on Tuesday delivered some perfectly salient reasons why not playing wouldn’t be a big deal.
“The preseason is not real football,” he said. “Nobody likes to play anymore. Nobody likes to show anything, either. I mean, our offense that [joint practice] day against Washington [last Thursday] was not our offense. We didn’t run any of our stuff. The preseason is not what it used to be.”
This is a fair point, but whether or not the Jets or their opponent are showing anything isn’t my point.
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The Jets certainly don’t need to make decisions based on what other teams are doing, but it should be noted that Giants coach Brian Daboll is planning to play Daniel Jones in this Saturday’s second preseason game at Houston.
Jones is coming off a torn ACL, has several new offensive linemen and new receivers, and being on the field in a game situation will benefit him and the team.
The Chiefs aren’t keeping their two-time Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes on ice until the season opener. Mahomes played in Kansas City’s preseason opener last weekend.
Asked if what happened last September has left him overly cautious about playing Rodgers, Saleh insisted he doesn’t “look at it in that regard.”
“I just look at whether or not it’s meaningful,” Saleh said. “Does it help us win in Week 1? If we all feel like it’ll help us win in Week 1, we’ll make the decision accordingly. We’ll sit down, address every angle and every everything that we need to address on whether or not it’s right for the organization.”
Playing Rodgers, even if for a series or two to get him into a game rhythm and come out with some positive plays, is the right thing to do.
Confidence, even for the best athletes at their respective sport, can be a powerful elixir.
Play him.
