Under a cloudy sky, on a humid Wednesday morning, a man on a delayed mission took his first steps toward Comeback Player of the Year.
And toward that long-lost Super Bowl championship.
“The goal is New Orleans,” Aaron Rodgers said.
He was asked how realistic that goal is for this Jets team.
“The beauty is, every single year there’s 8 to 12 teams, maybe — probably less — but 8 to 12 teams that can actually do it, and we’re one of those 8 to 12.”
A year ago his projection was six to eight teams. “I expanded it?” he said, and smiled.
But when asked if he thinks the roster is better now, Rodgers said, “I think so, yeah. I think we’re locked in. I think we’re better upfront [LT Tyron Smith, RT Morgan Moses] on the offensive side … and across the board on offense I think we have that year of experience. Defensively we’re always gonna be good.”
He waxed poetically about players at each level of the defense before adding: “And offensively, it’s on us to prove that we can be a top-10 offense.”
The goal was Las Vegas a year ago, but you may have heard that it was postponed four plays into opening night when Rodgers tore his then-39-year-old Achilles.
It is why he is the favorite for Comeback Player of the Year, and for the Jets to at the very least end their 13-year playoff drought, and at the very most hoist the Lombardi Trophy at the end of Super Bowl LIX. He needs to win it.
Do not bet against him.
Refreshed by his much-ballyhooed dream trip to Egypt during mandatory minicamp, motivated as always by the age-old doubters — some perceived and imaginary — Rodgers pronounced himself closing in on 100 percent healed and healthy.
“I think it’s gonna take a little time. … I feel great. The numbers — we track all the numbers out west where I work out and have for a decade — my movement stuff is tracking the exact same as last year. Actually, a little bit stronger with some of the squatting stuff that we did. I just need the reps. The last 5 percent of being 100 percent is just the mental part.”
He was encouraged by the way he moved from the pocket to find Allen Lazard for a touchdown on Day 1 of training camp.
“Not having played for an entire season really, it’s gonna take a nice training camp to feel like myself. Even in the middle years of my career, I always felt like you had to reinvent yourself in training camp and figure out that rhythm that you need. There was a time in 2020, I guess, it was where I harkened back to some of the stuff I used to do, and kind of found this rhythm in my drop that allowed me to have one of the best seasons [48 touchdowns, five interceptions] of my career. There’s gonna be a time during training camp where it all starts to line up.”
He is the straw that stirs the drink again.
“I think it’s important that you have to bring the energy, the enthusiasm every single day,” Rodgers said. “I think you have to set the standard by the way you show up every day. You gotta be active in meetings, you gotta be attentive, you gotta be tapped into the energy of the team.
“The goal is New Orleans.
“So that’s gotta be the focus, it’s gotta be the manifestation through our words and our actions. Everything needs to be intentional that we do on the field, in the meeting rooms. Just try not to waste any moments. … And I think you gotta set that standard, you gotta hold guys accountable. … It can’t just be me, it’s gotta be other guys stepping up into a leadership role.”
Garrett Wilson was one of Rodgers’ designated emerging leaders.
“I told him in the meeting [Tuesday], I think he has the talent and the ability to be the best receiver in the league,” Rodgers said.
Rodgers reminisced about driving to Lambeau Field with former great Packers receiver Davante Adams.
“He had a mindset when he stepped on the field of dominating,” Rodgers said. “On the day of the game it wasn’t, ‘Are we gonna win today, it’s how bad are we gonna dominate?’ ”
He rode a camel in Egypt. Now get over the hump and win Comeback Player of the Year. The goal is New Orleans.