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New Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers is certainly making his presence felt all over town, as he’s not only popping up at tons of high-profile events but is also already having a notable impact in the locker room.
In a new report from ESPN’s Rich Cimini, a variety of New York Jets players have been quoted detailing how “awed” they are by the future Hall of Fame signal-caller, who spent the first 17 years of his NFL career as a member of the Green Bay Packers.
For example, 26-year-old linebacker Quincy Williams said he was “starstruck” when he saw Rodgers, now wearing the number 8, on the practice field for the first time.
Offensive Rookie of the Year Garrett Wilson felt similarly, saying that “This is something 20 years from now, 30 years from now, I’ll tell my kids: ‘I played with Aaron Rodgers.'”
23-year-old guard Alijah Vera-Tucker said seeing Rodgers in the huddle was a “surreal feeling”, while Defensive Rookie of the Year Sauce Gardner — who watched the Knicks take on the Miami Heat from courtside seats at the Garden — said it was “a great feeling… to be in his shadow for a bit.”
After a little over a week in New York City, Rodgers is certainly saying and doing all the right things, as he recently told Pat McAfee he plans on attending “more than half” of the team’s remaining offseason practices.
The Jets are certainly hoping that Rodgers’ impact will be as seismic on the field as it’s been off it, as the franchise is currently the owner of the longest playoff drought in the NFL, as they’ve not qualified for the postseason since 2012.
Heading into the 2023 season, the Jets currently have the seventh-best odds to win next season’s Super Bowl, as the only teams with shorter odds than them are the Chiefs, Eagles, 49ers, Bills, Bengals, and Cowboys.