Great News for Jets Fans: Aaron Rodgers Says He'll Be at 'More Than Half' Their Practices

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As someone who has lived his life by the adage, "It's not enough that the Patriots succeed; the Jets must also fail," I admit the Aaron Rodgers trade came as a bit of a mixed blessing. While I appreciate the fact his presence will give those two games a year some dramatic value they've been sorely missing through all the Zach Wilsons and Sam Darnolds and Geno Smiths, that franchise's futility is a bottomless cup o' entertainment, no matter how many different ways they find to lose. 

Still, watching Jets fans put all their hopes and dreams into the hands of one false prophet after another is it's own, very special form of fun. And they have slid all their emotional chips into the middle of Rodger's table. They are totally committed to him as the key to their salvation. Fully invested. Which makes it all the more fun. Since he's barely arrived in New York, the offseason program hasn't even started yet, he's already letting it be known that feeling is anything but mutual. 

Source - A week ago, new Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers created the clear impression that he would be at all offseason workouts. And, for now, Rodgers has been there.

During Tuesday’s appearance with Pat McAfee, Rodgers made it clear that his attendance won’t remain perfect.

Rodgers said he’ll be present for “more than half” of the remaining offseason workouts.

On one hand, that’s a lot more than he has attended in recent years in Green Bay. On the other hand, it’s far from the level of involvement needed to get Rodgers comfortable with new teammates and, more importantly, to get new teammates comfortable with him.

But here’s the reality. When Rodgers eventually skips out on some of the offseason workouts with his new team, the quarterbacks with whom he’ll be competing are quietly present, putting in the work in advance of the season to come. And Rodgers will see plenty of them, from Josh Allen twice to Jalen Hurts to Dak Prescott to Daniel Jones to Deshaun Watson to Patrick Mahomes.

It would take a heart of stone not to laugh. 

The Jets savior hasn't even unpacked his box of stuff or hung a photo in his locker, and he's already made it clear he's going full Peter Gibbons:

It's takes a special sense of entitlement to tell your brand new employers you're going to start using up your personal days. Especially given how much they overspent to get you:

But hey, Rodgers isn't saying he's not planning on practicing at all. He's going to be there most of the time. A majority of practices. At least 51% of the workouts. More often than not, anyway. That other 49% is his to use as he sees fit. Maybe on recreational ayahuasca use and darkness retreats, whatever suits him. His free time is his free time. After all, the greatest quarterback the Jets have ever had was Joe Namath, a man who enjoyed more than his share of substances and darkness. Usually with a couple of Cigarette Girls from Toots Shor's. And it didn't slow him down any, amirite?

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The obvious contrarian position is to argue that Rodgers doesn't need to practice because Nathaniel Hackett is the new coordinator and Rodgers ran his system for three years in Green Bay. So they're all set. I mean, fat lot of good that does the rest of his offensive teammates who are mostly new to it. But they and their quarterback can figure out chemistry and being on the same page in August and once the season starts. May and June are about relaxing. As PFT points out, not for Allen, Hurts, Prescott, Jones, Watson, or Mahomes. But for Rodgers, definitely. Let's not forget, he took the Packers to that Super Bowl back in 2010. So he's all set in terms of having to put in the work. 

If you want to just dismiss the importance of a 39-year-old veteran being fully committed to practices - even with a new team for the first time in a guy's career - be my guest. Just remember I heard the same argument last August when it was announced Tom Brady was skipping out on the Bucs for 11 days in the middle of training camp. "He doesn't need the work," they said. "It's more important that he get the rest," they said. And through no small coincidence, that Leave of Absence produced one of his worst statistical seasons, the only sub-.500 season of his career, and just the fourth one-and-done in his 20 trips to the playoffs. 

But still, I'm sure it'll all work out. Rest easy, Jets fans. You'll be in good hands. For at least 51% of the offseason program.