Jets would love an Aaron Rodgers-Garrett Wilson connection
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — The Jets hope this will be a Super season for the first time in 55 years. It sure would help if Garrett Wilson can develop some super chemistry with his new quarterback, Aaron Rodgers.
Legendary quarterback pitching and elite second-year receiver catching.
The state of the Rodgers-Wilson dynamic will be on display Monday night when the Jets kick off the regular season against Buffalo at MetLife Stadium.
Wilson likes how the on-field relationship between them is progressing, but he knows it has ample room for growth.
“Our chemistry is good, man,” he said after practice Friday. “It’s as good as it can be at this point. We still have to get out there and get some game reps. We got a little taste of it [in the preseason], but a full game, we’ll really see where we’re at and where we stack up.
“We feel like we bring some great things to the table. I know that we’ve been working on it since Day 1. Every rep I get with him is huge, and I know he has the same mindset.
“So yeah, we just continue to build on it every day. We’re nowhere near where we want to be, but we’re in a good spot.”
Rodgers enjoys the view when it comes to Wilson.
“The beautiful thing about him is he is so sharp and he has such great recall, there is not repeat mistakes,” Rodgers said.
Wilson caught on so well last season. The 10th overall pick out of Ohio State topped all rookies in receptions with 83 and receiving yards with 1,103. Both were team rookie records. He became the first rookie in franchise history to reach 1,000 yards receiving and its first to claim Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.
“Garrett is a very unique receiver,” offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett said. “He is learning the system and learning how Aaron sees things as much as how he sees things, and Aaron gets to know how he sees things. And so it’s going to be something that’s going to be continuous.”
The 6-foot, 183-pound Wilson has drawn comparisons to Raiders receiver Davante Adams, who played eight season with Rodgers in Green Bay. Wilson studies the video.
“We go back and watch the 2019, 2020, 2018 Green Bay Packers,” Wilson said. “I mean, [Adams] was unguardable at that point. Aaron didn’t miss. The offense rolled . . . They were impressive. That’s every day, watching Devante because it’s all our offense. It’s exactly what we’re running now.
“It’s just easy for me to see him do it and be like, ‘That’s how I should make it look.’ ”
Wilson set the bar rather high for himself as a rookie. The sequel figures to be quite good, too. “For me, I’ve always tried to stay away from [personal goals] just because I’m confident in my ability and I know what I bring to the table,” he said. “When you have a team like this and a quarterback like that and great players around you, it’s just really do your job and see where you stack up.
“I’m confident that if we’re where we want to be as far as making the playoffs, being where we want to be in the playoffs, I’ll be just fine. I don’t want to be chasing anything except being great as a team. The greatness will come along with it is how I feel about it.”
Notes & quotes: The play-calling process will continue as is. “Just like we’ve been doing in the preseason, I’ll be the one that’s calling the plays from the sideline,” Hackett said . . . Right tackle Mekhi Becton sat out practice because of illness.