The New York Jets enter the 2024 season with high aspirations after last year started with dread when quarterback Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles on the very first offensive drive against the Buffalo Bills in Week 1. However, Jets head coach Robert Saleh has provided an update on Rodgers that should get fans excited for what the star quarterback can do next season.
It has been a long season for Rodgers to say the least as he had to sit on the sidelines and watch his team rather than play and show off his skills in his first season with New York. This has motivated the sure-fire Hall of Fame signal-caller as Saleh said that “he's on a mission” and that “he's really excited about attacking this season” according to Bobby Kownack of NFL.com.
“Aaron, he's on a mission,” Saleh said. “He's doing his rehab. He's out in California, I believe. Obviously he's taking some time for himself. He was ready to go last year, man. So I know he's getting ready. We speak to him often. I don't want to speak for him, but I am going to speak for him and say that he's really excited about attacking this season.”
Jets added protection for Rodgers in the off-season
In terms of the Jets off-season, it has been quiet compared to last year when they acquired Rodgers, but Saleh in some ways “welcomes a little bit of quietness.” On the other hand, New York has upgraded at offensive line by trading for Morgan Moses, signing Tyron Smith who has made the Pro Bowl eight times with the Dallas Cowboys, and obtaining former wide receiver for the Los Angeles Chargers in Mike Williams.
“I think (general manager) Joe (Douglas) has done a really nice job adding some really cool pieces to the football team, but, yeah, quiet,” Saleh said. “Last year was a little loud. We welcome a little bit of quietness.”
While the Jets could be deceivingly a more older team, they were a very youthful team in every position for the most part which Saleh addressed. However, he would mention that bringing “in some veteran presence” and leadership could very much so help the younger players.
“All the young guys that were forced to play a year ago were really excited about the direction they're going,” Saleh said. “But at the same time, to bring in some veteran presence, to bring in some leadership, to bring in guys who know how to play the game — who have played the game at a very high level and who really have the capability of achieving and matching the standard which we're trying to create.”
Saleh believes new players bolstered “mental makeup” of New York
There's no doubt that Saleh loves the acquisitions that Jets general manager Joe Douglas made as he shared his admiration for players like the aforementioned Moses and Smith. Despite New York upgrading the team physically, the head coach heading into his fourth season mentioned that they “really added to the mental makeup of that room.”
“You look at a guy like Morgan Moses who played on a torn pec last year. Just an old school soul in the sense that he just shows up to work, works his tail off, and a guy who's going to pull people with him,” Saleh said. “Tyron Smith has played at a very high level for a very long time, and John Simpson at guard, I mean, he's like the definition of strain. The way he works and kind of his story. He's kept battling to prove he belongs in this league. Excited about the mental makeup of the room. Obviously we've got some really good football players, but we've also really added to the mental makeup of that room.”
Saleh “excited to attack” this upcoming 2024 season
While every team that is located in the state of New York is going to have high expectations, the Jets really have something to prove this upcoming season. Especially as they are expecting Rodgers at 40-years old to play fully and see what the ceiling of this team can be, but Saleh is ready and “excited to attack this season.”
“(I'm) excited to attack this season and try to accomplish the things we were supposed to accomplish a year ago,” Saleh said.
The Jets finished 7-10 last season which put them third in the AFC East behind the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins. As the listed teams show, it should be another season of a competitive division, especially with Rodgers planning to start Week 1.
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