Jets' Aaron Rodgers Shouts Out Garrett Wilson, Davante Adams: 'Always Love My 17s'
Aug 17, 2023
FLORHAM PARK, NEW JERSEY - MAY 23: Garrett Wilson #17 and Aaron Rodgers #8 of the New York Jets walk on the field during an offseason workout session at Atlantic Health Jets Training Center on May 23, 2023 in Florham Park, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
There's just something about wide receivers wearing the No. 17 when Aaron Rodgers is throwing the ball.
He and Davante Adams teamed up for eight seasons on the Green Bay Packers from 2014 through 2021, and now the future Hall of Fame quarterback has Garrett Wilson to target with the New York Jets.
Rodgers showed his appreciation for both:
Safe to say Aaron Rodgers is very, very high on what Garrett Wilson will do in the passing game… pic.twitter.com/IVh2kxpK4i
Adams was a five-time Pro Bowler and two-time First Team All-Pro selection during his time with Rodgers. He was arguably the best receiver in the league at times and led the NFL with 18 touchdown catches in 2020.
Wilson has a ways to go to reach those levels, but he already has an apparent connection with the veteran signal-caller:
The Ohio State product was the Offensive Rookie of the Year last season with 83 catches for 1,103 yards and four touchdowns even though he had Zach Wilson, Joe Flacco and Mike White throwing him the ball.
Those numbers are sure to go up with Rodgers under center, and the quarterback seems primed to continue the tradition of throwing to No. 17s.
Jets' Garrett Wilson: 'I Was Advised Not to Speak' on Trolling Broncos' Sean Payton
Aug 16, 2023
FLORHAM PARK, NEW JERSEY - JULY 26: Wide receiver Garrett Wilson #17 of the New York Jets works out during training camp at Atlantic Health Jets Training Center on July 26, 2023 in Florham Park, New Jersey. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
New York Jets star Garrett Wilson is remaining mum when it comes to Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton, who made some pointed remarks about Jets offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett.
The second-year wide receiver was asked about his attire during an in-game interview as New York was on his way to a 27-0 win over the Carolina Panthers. He told reporters Wednesday he "was advised not to speak on it."
Garrett Wilson is asked if he was trolling Sean Payton with his outfit during a sideline interview last weekend:
Payton drew the ire of the Jets when he told USA Today's Jarrett Bell that Hackett and last year's Broncos staff delivered "one of the worst coaching jobs in the history of the NFL." It was part of a larger defense of starting quarterback Russell Wilson.
His attempt to walk back the comments failed to undo the damage.
Jets star Aaron Rodgers came to Hackett's defense and said Payton "needs to keep my coaches' names out of his mouth."
“He (Hackett) is arguably my favorite coach I’ve ever had in the NFL. I thought it was way out of line, inappropriate, and I think he needs to keep my coaches’ names out of his mouth.” - @AaronRodgers12 to me on Sean Payton’s quotes @nflnetwork @NFL pic.twitter.com/f7Aur2WgMc
Nearly a month later, it appears New York's players haven't forgotten Payton's interview with Bell.
Fans probably don't need to be reminded the Jets and Broncos cross paths in Week 5.
NFL Rumors: Dalvin Cook Preferred Jets to Dolphins Because of Aaron Rodgers Trade
Aug 15, 2023
FILE - Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook stands on the field before an NFL wild card playoff football game against the New York Giants, Sunday, Jan. 15, 2023, in Minneapolis. Free agent running back Dalvin Cook is scheduled to visit with the New York Jets this weekend, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. The former Minnesota Vikings star, who turns 28 in August, could join a revamped Jets offense led by quarterback Aaron Rodgers and coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)
On Monday, Dalvin Cook signed a one-year deal with the New York Jets worth up to $8.6 million, joining a suddenly stacked offense that also includes quarterback Aaron Rodgers, wide receivers Garrett Wilson, Allen Lazard and Mecole Hardman and running back Breece Hall.
And it was apparently Rodgers who was the primary factor in Cook signing with the Jets, as NFL Network's Tom Pelissero said on The Rich Eisen Show Tuesday:
I think that everybody initially was connecting Cook to the Miami Dolphins. And the Dolphins were certainly involved throughout the process. They would have gladly added Cook to their team. But going back even a month or so before Cook was released, I had heard that Dalvin's priority—because at that point he knew he was not going to be a Minnesota Viking—was to land in New York and team up with Aaron Rodgers, his old NFC North rival, to try to win the Super Bowl. Nothing ended up progressing in the spring in terms of a trade, so Dalvin ends up getting released. The Denver Broncos were involved. The New England Patriots made a run at Cook. And again, the Dolphins were involved throughout the process. But what Dalvin wanted was that opportunity to team up with Rodgers.
Granted, there are potentially other factors—of the greener variety—that persuaded Cook to join the Jets over the Dolphins:
Dalvin Cook was always a luxury add for the Dolphins. That’s a lot of money. We’ll have to see the guarantees. But they don’t like to spend that kind of $ on RBs. They’re focused on spending for QB/WR/OL/DL/CB.
Dolphins said they were happy with their running back room (Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson, De’Von Achane). Their talks with Dalvin Cook didn’t get close $$ to what he got with Jets.
MIA now plays vs. Cook twice this year. Will be interested to track MIA/NYJ run games at EOS.
Adding Cook brings a four-time Pro Bowler to the Big Apple, one who rushed for 1,173 yards and eight touchdowns last season, adding 39 catches for 295 yards and an additional two scores.
One of the ironies of the signing is that the Dolphins could have used a star at running back far more than the Jets. Cook would have been a huge upgrade over Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr. in Miami, whereas the 22-year-old Hall looked like a star in the making during his 2022 rookie season, accumulating 681 yards from scrimmage and five touchdowns in seven games before tearing his ACL.
Granted, the Dolphins don't lack for weapons in a passing game led by Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. They'll have one of the most explosive offenses in football.
But Cook would have given them one more issue for defenses to solve. Instead, the Jets added another playmaker to Rodgers' arsenal, and it sounds like a partnership Cook had been plotting for quite some time.
Jets Fans Hyped for Super Bowl Push After Dalvin Cook's Reported Contract
Aug 14, 2023
Running back Dalvin Cook, left, greets New York Jets' Mekhi Becton as he watches a New York Jets practice session at the NFL football team's training facility in Florham Park, N.J., Sunday, July 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
One of the longest free agency sagas of the NFL offseason is finally over: Dalvin Cook is signing with the New York Jets on a one-year deal, per multiple reports.
Free-agent RB Dalvin Cook is planning to sign a one-year deal worth up to $8.6 million with the New York Jets, per source. pic.twitter.com/SU95TqaQL4
The news didn't exactly come as a surprise, seeing as Cook previously met with the Jets and has been fairly regularly linked to the team in rumors.
But New York is now loaded on offense, with Aaron Rodgers having players like Cook, Breece Hall, Garrett Wilson, Allen Lazard and Mecole Hardman, among others, to work with this season.
Not only that, but the Jets kept Cook away from the Miami Dolphins, another team that had been flirting with the four-time Pro Bowler.
So there was plenty for NFL Twitter to digest, while Jets' fans... well, Jets' fans were a bit excited:
- Indication Breece Hall won't be ready to start regular season? - Assuming Hackett uses some GB run game stuff, Dalvin is familiar w/ that Shanahan ZBS - Expensive but only a 1-yr deal + Jets have the $ - Concerned Jets OL could make this not work
Dalvin Cook was always a luxury add for the Dolphins. That’s a lot of money. We’ll have to see the guarantees. But they don’t like to spend that kind of $ on RBs. They’re focused on spending for QB/WR/OL/DL/CB.
Dolphins said they were happy with their running back room (Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson, De’Von Achane). Their talks with Dalvin Cook didn’t get close $$ to what he got with Jets.
MIA now plays vs. Cook twice this year. Will be interested to track MIA/NYJ run games at EOS.
It's been a busy day in the AFC East after the New England Patriots signed a running back of their own, bringing aboard former Dallas Cowboys veteran Ezekiel Elliott.
Who made the better signing? ✍️
Jets: Dalvin Cook, one-year deal worth up to $8.6M Pats: Ezekiel Elliot, one-year deal worth up to $6M pic.twitter.com/leWBna3W33
That Cook—who is still just 28 years old and has rushed for over 1,000 yards in four straight seasons and totaled double-digit touchdowns in three of the past four years—could only manage to get a one-year deal is a pretty strong indication of just how weak the running back market has become.
The Jets were able to sit back, patiently wait for Cook to weigh his options and land a dynamic player on a deal that offers them very little risk. And with Hall also in the backfield, once he's healthy, they now have one of the best one-two punches at the position in the NFL, if not the best.
Whether that actually makes the Jets true Super Bowl contenders remains to be seen. Plenty of teams have "won" the offseason, only to fall flat once the real games begin. But Jets' fans have suffered through some lean years—they deserve a summer of genuine excitement.
Jets' Garrett Wilson Likes Tweet He Had A+ Troll of Broncos' Sean Payton During Game
Aug 13, 2023
FLORHAM PARK, NEW JERSEY - JULY 26: Wide receiver Garrett Wilson #17 of the New York Jets works out during training camp at Atlantic Health Jets Training Center on July 26, 2023 in Florham Park, New Jersey. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
New York Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson did not play in his team's 27-0 victory over the Carolina Panthers in Saturday's preseason game, but that didn't stop him from apparently trolling Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton.
James Palmer of NFL Network noted that Payton didn't want his team's starters to take off their uniforms, wear sunglasses or put on Gilligan hats after they were pulled from Denver's preseason opener against the Arizona Cardinals.
With that as the backdrop, Wilson's choice of apparel turned heads Saturday, especially since he liked a tweet approving of his trolling of the Broncos coach:
The back-and-forth between the Jets and Payton has been a notable offseason storyline ever since the Denver coach defended Russell Wilson by criticizing former Broncos coach and current Jets offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett.
"Everybody's got a little stink on their hands," Payton said, per Jarrett Bell of USA Today. "It's not just Russell (Wilson). It was a (poor) offensive line. It might have been one of the worst coaching jobs in the history of the NFL. That's how bad it was."
Payton has since apologized, but Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers and head coach Robert Saleh are among those who responded to the situation. Rodgers went as far as to say Payton needs to "keep my coach's name out of his mouth."
The comments clearly made an impression with New York, which adds a layer of intrigue for the showdown between the Broncos and Jets in Week 5.
Jets HBO 'Hard Knocks' 2023: Best Fan Tweets, Memes from Episode 1
Aug 9, 2023
FLORHAM PARK, NEW JERSEY - JULY 26: Quarterback Aaron Rodgers #8 of the New York Jets walks to the media tent to talk to reporters after training camp at Atlantic Health Jets Training Center on July 26, 2023 in Florham Park, New Jersey. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
"Embrace the fact that we aren't the same old Jets."
That was the message for his team from New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh during the opening episode of HBO's Hard Knocks on Tuesday. And it's not difficult to see why this year's team won't be "the same old Jets."
Few clubs in the NFL will have a brighter spotlight this season after New York added one of the league's all-time great quarterbacks in Aaron Rodgers to a roster that already featured notable players such as Sauce Gardner, Garrett Wilson and Quinnen Williams.
To the surprise of nobody, Rodgers was heavily featured from the early moments of Tuesday's episode. Whether it was the crowd chanting his name, younger players reveling in his presence or Saleh marveling at some of his throws, the new signal-caller caught the eye of plenty of viewers:
You can tell by the first episode of Hard Knocks how excited everyone is about Aaron Rodgers arrival in New York. Garrett Wilson is about to have an insane year dude lol
Not even 5 minutes into hard knocks and it’s extremely apparent how bad Zach Wilson was. These guys are JUICED that Aaron Rodgers can throw a ball where it needs to go lol
Rodgers might have been the star, but he was the one in awe during one cameo.
Actor Liev Schreiber, who is the narrator of Hard Knocks, made an appearance at Jets camp and had Rodgers calling him "the voice of God."
liev schreiber just broke the fourth wall in hard knocks and I feel like I just saw my fourth grade teacher at chilis or something. Has this ever happened before?
It wasn't just Rodgers and Schreiber who earned screen time.
Other notable moments included Wilson and Gardner going against each other in practice, the cornerback graduating from the University of Cincinnati alongside former Los Angeles Lakers point guard Nick Van Exel, and even a behind-the-back-pass competition during practice.
It was only fitting an episode that largely focused on a future Hall of Fame quarterback made its way to the Hall of Fame Game.
The Jets lost their preseason opener in Canton, Ohio, to the Cleveland Browns 21-16, but Rodgers, Gardner and many other starters didn't play. Instead, QB1 put on a headset, cheered on his teammates and even made a play call for the very same backup quarterback he was teasing earlier in the episode.
Aaron Rodgers called the perfect play for Zach Wilson 😅
Hard Knocks premieres tonight at 10pm ET on @StreamOnMax
Wins and losses aren't as important as individual development, and the deep ball from Zach Wilson and a touchdown from running back Israel Abanikanda stood out from New York's perspective.
New York surely plans on scoring many more touchdowns once the season begins and Rodgers is under center.
After all, that is the best way to ensure it won't be the same old Jets.
With training camps in full swing and the Hall of Fame Game slated for Thursday, the start of the NFL regular season is on the horizon. This, of course, means…
Jets' Garrett Wilson Ankle Injury Diagnosed as Sprain; NYJ to Be Cautious with Return
Jul 30, 2023
FLORHAM PARK, NEW JERSEY - JULY 26: Wide receiver Garrett Wilson #17 of the New York Jets busts through two coaches after making a catch during training camp at Atlantic Health Jets Training Center on July 26, 2023 in Florham Park, New Jersey. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
The New York Jets are not taking any chances with Garrett Wilson's health.
The second-year wide receiver suffered a low ankle sprain in practice on Wednesday and has not participated since. Head coach Robert Saleh told reporters that the team will be cautious with his return, so it appears he will miss a few more sessions.
Wilson is the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year after he had 83 receptions for 1,103 yards and four touchdowns in 2022. The Jets selected the receiver with the 10th selection at the 2022 NFL Draft.
Saleh previously said that "all indications are that he will be ok", so it appears the team is not concerned about further injury regarding the young star. However, he will be missing valuable reps with new quarterback Aaron Rodgers, and is unlikely to be active for the team's first preseason game August 3rd.
Wilson will be crucial for a Jets team that is looking to take a step away from dysfunction this season. Wilson's strong play in 2022 was one of a few exceptions for a Jets offensive unit that finished 25th in total offense. The team has a new look going forward, and Wilson should be the prized weapon for Rodgers in 2023.
The Jets went 7-10 and finished in fourth place in the AFC East in 2022. This was their third consecutive fourth place finish and sixth in the last seven seasons.
Fantasy Alert: Browns' Elijah Moore Has 'Nice On-Field Chemistry' with Deshaun Watson
Jul 28, 2023
BEREA, OHIO - MAY 31: Elijah Moore #8 of the Cleveland Browns runs a drill during the Cleveland Browns OTAs at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on May 31, 2023 in Berea, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)
Fantasy football players, we have a potential sleeper for you as we grow closer to draft season—Cleveland Browns wideout Elijah Moore.
"[Deshaun Watson] is developing a really nice on-the-field chemistry with Elijah Moore, who looks really, really good so far this camp," Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com told guest host Kirk Morrison on The Rich Eisen Show (2:20 mark). "Pads are coming on for the first time [Friday], but Elijah is definitely somebody to watch."
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski has been pleased with Moore, who the Browns acquired from the New York Jets in a March trade, telling reporters he's been a very "locked-in player."
"Speaking of taking your craft seriously, he practices hard and he takes it very seriously, which is great," he added. "It's fun to be around a guy that really works at it. And then he's taken the bit on everything we've asked him to do, of trying to make sure we move him around the formation, trying to use things that we know he's done well in his past and also challenge him with some new things."
Moore, 23, fell out of favor in New York as Garrett Wilson became the focal point of the passing game, putting up just 37 receptions for 446 yards and a score.
The 2021 second-round pick went from leading the Jets in receiving yards (538) and receiving touchdowns (five) as a rookie in just 11 games to watching the Jets sign Allen Lazard and Mecole Hardman in free agency, bumping him even further down the depth chart before his trade.
Amari Cooper is still the top dog in Cleveland, and Donovan Peoples-Jones and David Njoku are going to get targets. But Moore could have a sneaky good season out of the slot and prove to be a savvy addition in the later rounds of your draft.
