23 July 2023 , 17:08
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Confidence is running high for the New York Jets and their fans after the most exciting off-season in recent history, and Aaron Rodgers gave "Gang Green" a glimpse of what might lie ahead.
The Jets opened their Florham Park facility for fans on Saturday and the bleachers were sold out as Rodgers and his new teammates got down to business in training camp ahead of the new NFL season.
Although a series of fights and skirmishes between teammates caught the eye on Saturday, head coach Robert Saleh was more interested in the play of his new quarterback as the offense settles in with Rodgers at the helm.
And there was a glimpse of the brilliance that made Rodgers a four-time NFL MVP in his 18 years with the Green Bay Packers, showing no lack of mobility as he slid to his right and threaded a side-arm pass through a tight window, and Corey Davis hauled it in for the touchdown.
Jubilant scenes followed, with Rodgers and other members of the offense clearly very happy with how things are building ahead of the new campaign. New offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett was delighted, too, charging onto the field and celebrating wildly with Davis.
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Rodgers also made eye-catching throws to Mecole Hardman and Tyler Conklin and Saleh was delighted by what he saw at Florham Park. "Precision," he said of Rodgers' play on Saturday.
"The throw he made to Corey (Davis), I don’t know if you could’ve put it anywhere else, DJ (Reed) had really, really nice coverage, and what’s great about it is there’s talk after the play for DJ on, ‘I could have done this a little bit better’ to even eliminate that little inch that Aaron had to throw in.
Offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett could not contain his excitement after Rodgers' sublime throw. (New York Jets)"Then credit to Corey, using his big body to shield off DJ to bring the ball down to catch it, but just overall just great precision, it was a really good day for him.
"Whenever you’ve got a guy who can sling it like he (Rodgers) can, you’re lucky almost, because there’s not a lot of guys in the world that can do it like he can."
The Jets traded for Rodgers in April, with the Green Bay Packers set to receive two first-round picks, presuming the quarterback is not affected by injury and plays most of the snaps this season.
Rodgers has enjoyed the move to New York so far. "This was a great opportunity for me," he told ESPN on Friday. "It is fun to just have everything so new, because there's new people to meet, there's new places to go.
"I have really enjoyed the city, being able to go out to restaurants and concerts and MSG (Madison Square Garden). You got so many sporting events. That's been really fun for me. As much as I love Green Bay and have so much affection for that place, it's a bit slower."
"This has definitely rejuvenated me. I'm excited to be in a new spot, excited to meet the new guys, and just be around it all."