The New York Jets are widely expected to be much better this coming season with the return of star quarterback Aaron Rodgers. But on Tuesday, Jets head coach Robert Saleh made his intentions with Rodgers quite clear regarding his game plan to eventually get his former MVP quarterback to return to the field.
Rodgers is coming off a torn Achilles injury in the team’s opening game of the season last year. Despite rumblings that he could have returned to the field last year if the Jets were in contention, there are still some obvious questions about Rodgers’ abilities post-injury.
Jets fans will have to wait to see what Rodgers can do on the field. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Saleh has decided that Rodgers will not participate in the preseason ahead of the 2024-25 NFL season.
Jets HC Robert Saleh said that QB Aaron Rodgers, who is recovering from his Achilles injury, is unlikely to play this preseason.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 30, 2024
Plenty of coaches end up sitting their veteran players in the preseason. But Rodgers is obviously a much different case, as he hasn’t finished an entire NFL game since the 2022-23 NFL season.
One could argue that in-game reps after such a long time away from the field are actually quite important for someone like Rodgers.
But Saleh is seemingly airing on the side of caution when it comes to Rodgers. So unless something changed between now and the start of the NFL regular season, fans won’t be seeing Rodgers on the field until the Jets season-opening game against the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football.