Jets and Aaron Rodgers lauded with praise, intrigue and questions by CBS NFL analysts
Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers during training camp on Tuesday. Credit: Noah K. Murray
“I expect Aaron Rodgers to be on a mission,” Bill Cowher said. “No one wants to go out the way he went out.”
That was the consensus among CBS analysts Newsday surveyed on Wednesday at an event in Manhattan to promote the upcoming NFL season: That the Jets quarterback should be able to pick up where he left off very early last season – if he stays healthy.
“I think Aaron’s got a lot to prove,” Cowher said. “I think he’s got a little chip on his shoulder, to be quite honest with you, and I like that.”
Tony Romo, the former Cowboys quarterback who now is CBS’ lead game analyst, said, “He’s always had an incredible arm and his football knowledge, he’s almost a savant.
“So the combination of that will allow him to overcome, say, things in the short term that athletically may take time, whether it’s from the injury or obviously Father Time does certain things.”
Rodgers, 40, tore his left Achilles tendon four plays into the 2023 season.
Romo said, based on his experience coming back from injuries, he would advise Rodgers to play in a preseason game.
“It just takes a little bit of time to get comfortable when you get the pads on and can get hit for real,” Romo said. “To me, that would be important to get him some time in the next game.”
That is not currently the Jets’ plan. Their opener is Sept. 9 at the San Francisco 49ers.
“As you get older, it gets harder to recover,” said Trent Green, another former NFL quarterback in the CBS stable. “I think that’s going to be the biggest hurdle.”
Green said Rodgers’ throwing style should help.
“Because of the way he situates his feet, it’s not a traditional plant that back foot in the ground and drive it,” Green said. “It’s more his hips and his core the way he throws it. It will be harder because he’s older, but if anybody can do it, Aaron can.”
Another member of CBS’ former quarterbacks club, Matt Ryan, said, “I think I learned playing against Aaron for a long time, don’t count him out.”
Ryan said he spoke to Rodgers at a golf tournament earlier this summer and found him in a good place, both mentally and physically.
“If he can stay healthy, he’s going to play great,” Ryan said.
The CBS analysts praised the Jets for upgrading their line to protect Rodgers and said the addition of free agent receiver Mike Williams will help.
Romo said that with Williams and Garrett Wilson as bookend options and Rodgers’ ability to throw fade passes, the Jets “can be sneaky one of the best red zone teams.”
“If his team can run the football at all, they can make the game really simple in the red zone,” Romo said.
Ryan praised the Jets’ tight end corps, saying, “Nationally, I don’t think they get recognized as much as they should.”
Cowher said, “They took care of the offensive line. I love what they did there. They have a top 10 defense. If Williams can help, and there’s Garrett Wilson, I think they’re a team to contend with.”
No one will know for sure how this plays out until Rodgers takes the field and makes it through more than four plays, of course. But everyone is intrigued.
“I’m just as curious as everybody else,” future Hall of Fame defensive end J.J. Watt said. “There’s a lot of caveats at the current moment with age and injury and everything, but if he can play at his level, they are going to be a good team.”
Neil Best first worked at Newsday in 1982, returned in 1985 after a detour to Alaska and has been here since, specializing in high schools, college basketball, the NFL and most recently sports media and business.
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