Rodgers: Coming to Jets has been better than I expected
Being a member of the New York Jets has surpassed all of Aaron Rodgers' expectations ahead of his 19th NFL season.
"This has been better than I was even daydreaming about sitting in that hole in the ground thinking about what my life could be," Rodgers recently said on "Boomer and Gio." "Because I contemplated retirement, I contemplated coming back, and the Jets was always the team that was the most interesting to me because of (coach) Robert (Saleh), because of (offensive coordinator) Nathaniel (Hackett), because of the way they worked their ass last year."
The 10-time Pro Bowler added: "It's really been better than I could have expected. It feels like sometimes that I woke up inside of a dream and that this is my life playing out. I pinch myself at various times throughout the week every single week that I've been here."
Rodgers spent his first 18 NFL seasons with the Green Bay Packers, who drafted him 24th overall in 2005. In Green Bay, the 39-year-old built a decorated career that included 223 starts, 475 touchdown passes, four NFL MVP awards, and a Super Bowl title.
The Packers traded Rodgers to the Jets in April.
"It's not a shot against Green Bay," Rodgers said about how happy he is in New York ahead of the 2023 season. "I have a lot of love and gratitude for that time. But that chapter is over."
The Jets boasted a top-five defense in 2022 but missed the playoffs after struggling offensively, particularly at the quarterback position. New York beat Rodgers and Green Bay at Lambeau Field last year in a game in which the star signal-caller was sacked four times.
After working with his new teammates for several months, Rodgers says the Jets' roster is "definitely better" than he expected following their Week 6 matchup last season.
The 2022 Jets featured four Pro Bowlers and three players who earned All-Pro nods. New York also rosters the NFL's reigning top offensive and defensive rookies in wide receiver Garrett Wilson and cornerback Sauce Gardner, respectively.
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