Aaron Rodgers have to be Jets’ savior — even when he gained’t say it — to satisfy expectations

You get the sensation that if Aaron Rodgers requested Jets proprietor Woody Johnson to maneuver the crew again to Hofstra, the transferring vans can be parked outdoors the Atlantic Well being Jets Coaching Middle pronto. 

Or if Rodgers requested Joe Douglas to signal Pat McAfee as the brand new punter, the GM can be thanking Thomas Morstead for his time. 

Or if he requested Douglas to signal slot receiver Randall Cobb … 

Oh wait, Cobb on Wednesday became the latest member of the Green-and-White Bay Jets. 

It was sensible and predictable for Rodgers to publicly decree at his introductory press convention final week that he’s not a savior, or the savior. 

Besides the whole lot the group has performed, from hiring Nathaniel Hackett, Allen Lazard and Cobb, to each mountain it has moved, and the whole lot Jets gamers have performed, from overtly wooing the four-time MVP to Sauce Gardner burning a viral cheesehead to what they were saying Wednesday, mandates Rodgers is the savior, and have to be. 

There haven’t been many honeymoons like this one: 

See Rodgers smiling on the MSG scoreboard at a Rangers playoff sport, hear the group go wild. 

See Rodgers smiling the subsequent day at a Knicks playoff sport, hear the group go wild. 

See Rodgers seated subsequent to Gardner for Recreation 2 of the Knicks playoff collection, hear the group go wild. 

“I didn’t know he was that humorous,” Sauce mentioned. 

Up subsequent: Rodgers throwing out a primary pitch at a Mets sport at Citi Discipline and at a Yankees sport on the Stadium. 

Expectations are this excessive now. He most likely gained’t have to fret that his first interception will elicit boos from a single long-suffering Jets fan. 

Rodgers has taken head coach Robert Saleh’s “constructive vibes solely” mantra to a complete different degree. 

“Wow! That’s Aaron Rodgers commanding our huddle! Aaron Rodgers throwing us passes! Aaron Rodgers difficult Sauce!” 

“I ain’t gonna mislead you, I used to be sort of starstruck at first,” linebacker Quincy Williams mentioned, “as a result of we heat up proper subsequent to one another. I used to be similar to, ‘Maintain on, Coach. Let me simply take just a little minute to take this in and watch a couple of throws, seeing him within the inexperienced.’ Simply took that in just a little bit and was like, ‘All proper, now let’s get to work.’ 

“So we will get him extra alternatives to throw the ball.” 

The youthful Jets communicate with the sort of reverence the youthful Buccaneers spoke with about Tom Brady when he left the Patriots and energized, impressed and united the constructing en path to an NFC Championship sport win over Rodgers at Lambeau Discipline and a Tremendous Bowl LV win over the Chiefs. 

“I at all times simply catch myself simply watching him, watch how easy he seems, how he makes it look easy,” Gardner mentioned. 

And there was Garrett Wilson lobbying for an invitation from Rodgers to accompany him to a dinner at Carbone (“He coated the examine,” Gardner mentioned) and Knicks sport. 

“That is one thing 20 years from now, 30 years from now, I’ll inform my children, ‘I performed with Aaron Rodgers,’ ” Wilson mentioned. 

The narrative that Rodgers would possibly buckle beneath the New York highlight has thus far been intercepted. Rodgers has embraced New York each bit as a lot as New York has embraced him. He has come off as comfy in his personal pores and skin, maybe greater than he has ever been. 

Over dinner, Gardner revealed that Rodgers advised him: “I’m constructed for this.” 

If the truth is he actually is, 20 years from now, 30 years from now, Garrett Wilson would possibly even have the ability to inform his children: “I gained a Tremendous Bowl with Aaron Rodgers.”