The New York Jets enter coach Robert Saleh’s fourth year as head coach, and GM Joe Douglas enters his sixth. Over that timeframe, the team has not finished with a winning record or made the playoffs in any of those seasons. Owner Woody Johnson has said he is happy with both. While neither Saleh or Douglas has publicly been put on the hot seat, that can easily change if this year is more of the same.
Entering 2024, expectations for the Jets are higher than they have been in a long time. The defense was one of the best in the NFL, and Pro Football Focus graded them as the best defense in the league in 2023. On offense, Aaron Rodgers worked to rehab his Achilles injury that cut his 2023 season after four plays. His ability to stay healthy, and mesh with the likes of Garrett Wilson, free agent signee Mike Williams, and Breece Hall will be essential for the Jets.
Training Camp started on July 25th, and there is already drama coming out of 1 Jets Drive. Here are the Top Three Things to Watch coming out of Week One:
- Tarik Cohen Shockingly Retires
Cohen came to Jets camp this year to comeback from injuries. Two days before he announced his retirement, Cohen spoke to the media and stated that he felt that he was all the way back and was looking forward to contributing. A lot changed in 48 hours.
Part of the reason the Jets signed Cohen was the new kickoff rules the NFL has put in place for 2024. Now, with Cohen retiring, the return duties fall even more on Xavier Gipson. Douglas may also look to bring in reinforcements via free agency.
Cohen has worked hard to rehab. He had not played since 2020, when he broke his leg and tore knee ligaments, and missed the rest of 2020 and all of 2021. Cohen tried to come back again in 2022 but injured his Achilles, before spending 2023 with the Carolina Panthers on their practice squad. Cohen, at 5-6, had reduced his weight from 208 to 191 pounds, and again looked ready to go for the Jets.
This is not the first time a to-be-relied upon veteran surprisingly left the Jets. Wide receiver Corey Davis surprisingly stepped away before the 2023 season to spend more time with his family. In an odd twist, Davis seemingly changed his mind and applied for reinstatement. The Jets have since formally released him, and Davis remains a free agent.
Not sure what the veterans have seen over the past few training camps that led to the surprising retirement/“step away.” However, it is something that the Jets front office and coaching staff should introspectively examine moving forward. Here’s hoping Cohen is okay, his injuries are not recurring, and he has success in his next chapter.
2. “Roger, Rodgers.” Communication Between Saleh and Rodgers
Another oddity out of Jets camp this week was Saleh’s announcement that it was unlikely that Rodgers would play in the preseason. The coach communicated that to the press, but kept out of the communication loop was the star quarterback himself. Rodgers’ response when asked about it was “News to me.”
The development is not injury-related, as Rodgers has given himself a 100% bill of health. Given the reps that Rodgers has had throughout his career, and his familiarity with coordinator Nathaniel Hackett’s offense, on the surface missing preseason games is not a big deal.
The lines of communication have been a question mark between Rodgers and Saleh, and that is a bigger cause of concern. While they seem to have a good relationship and open lines of communication, there have been a few instances that were head scratchers. Given Rodger’s history of relationships with coaches in Green Bay, this bears watching through the rest of camp and into the season.
First, Saleh was forced to answer questions about Rodgers running to be Vice President of the country under Robert Kennedy, Jr. While that never came to fruition, Saleh said that Rodgers did not tell him about the speculation ahead of time. This is probably the first time an NFL head coach was asked about one of his players running for VP.
Additionally, Rodgers missed mandatory minicamp this season, which was the week of June 10th. He was on a pre-planned trip to Egypt, which he had alerted the team about ahead of time. Saleh gained a lot of interest when he noted it was an “unexcused absence.” This reportedly irked Rodgers, as he felt he communicated it well to the powers that be.
3. Power Struggle Between Aaron Rodgers and Garrett Wilson?
A video surfaced of Rodgers and Wilson in a conversation that looked rather heated. The two animated debates/conversations made the rounds quickly on social media. The conversations occurred after plays where there appeared to be some miscommunication. Is there a rift forming between the team’s Hall of Fame QB and its young star WR?
The two cornerstones of the Jets offense downplayed any hard feelings. Rodgers commented that they were looking to get on the same page, and learning how each other behaved on the field in certain situations. Wilson said they are both passionate about the game and winning, and want to get things right on the field.
With both players saying the right things, and Rodgers becoming more vocal with the general offense, this is likely nothing to worry about. However, because it’s New York, because it’s the star receiver, because it’s the Hall of Fame QB, and because, well, it’s the Jets, this received an abundance of attention.
The Rodgers-Wilson dynamic is critical for the Jets in 2024. Wilson had 1,103 yards receiving in 2022 and 1,042 in 2023. Catching passes from Rodgers instead of Zach Wilson has the Jets and their fans hungry to see what he can do this season. Getting on the same page as Rodgers as soon as possible will be the unlock.
In Summary
The Jets were on Hard Knocks in 2023. Despite not being on the show this year, the Jets remain Must See TV. Not surprisingly, the Top 3 Takeaways from Week One of Training Camp revolve around veterans. They lost one to a surprising retirement, in Tarik Cohen. Another, Aaron Rodgers, is making headlines for not communicating with his head coach enough and for communicating in too heated of a fashion with his star receiver.
Photo Credit; Axios
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