Aaron Rodgers is in a similar position heading into Week 1 as he was last season.
The New York Jets were playing on "Monday Night Football" against the Buffalo Bills, and they’ll do so against the San Francisco 49ers to kick off their 2024 season. But Rodgers, entering his 20th NFL season, wants to play more than he did that Monday night a year ago.
NFL fans know the story by now. Rodgers tore an Achilles on the fourth play of his debut with the Jets at MetLife Stadium, ending his season before it really got started. It crushed the Jets and their fan base.
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Rodgers’ drive to continue playing quarterback didn’t waver, and he enters another year filled with expectations. So, what does the four-time MVP signal-caller expect from himself this year?
"I have a lot of pride in my performance, so when I take the field, I expect greatness because I’ve done it before," Rodgers said before a Jets practice, via ESPN. "So, that’s the kind of standard I hold myself to."
The 40-year-old is the oldest player in the NFL, but reports from camp have said he looks spry with his repaired Achilles, and he’s hooking up with his favorite target, Garrett Wilson, and newcomers like Mike Williams and rookie Malachi Corley consistently against one of the best defenses in the league.
But all the hype and expectations that these training camp practices generate means nothing at this point. Rodgers wants to play a full season and win games.
He’s even at the point now where he jokes about what he’s going to do after the fourth offensive play in the Bay Area Monday night.
"There might be a little smirk after the fourth," he joked.
It’s no secret Rodgers is the driving force of a Jets team hungry to break its 13-year playoff drought, the longest without a playoff game in professional sports in the country.
So, even though Rodgers has a Super Bowl ring and MVP trophies, he still plays like he has something to prove.
"I've always kind of played with something on my shoulder," he explained. "You have to manufacture things from time to time, but, yeah, I mean, it kind of goes back to the proving it. Who would I need to prove it to? Just myself at this point."
Head coach Robert Saleh sees his quarterback in a "great place" heading into Week 1, where he’ll go against a team Saleh served as defensive coordinator for prior to taking the Jets job.
"Not just mentally, but physically he looks awesome," Saleh said, via ESPN. "You guys have been there every day, and you see how well he looked, how good he looks. ... He's a professional. He's done it a long time. He's not a 40-year-old quarterback, so I think he's just fine."
Jets fans may collectively hold their breath during the team’s opening drive Monday night. They have every right to after 83,000-plus watched Rodgers limp off the field for good last season during Week 1.
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