'Like watching Picasso paint': Aaron Rodgers gives Jets glimpse of greatness

In a bittersweet end to the season, the Jets got a glimpse of what could've been had Aaron Rodgers never suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in the first game of the 2023 season.

For the first time since he went down with the injury four snaps into the season, the Jets cut Rodgers loose in their final three practices. After being limited to scout-team work the previous several weeks, New York allowed its star quarterback to lead a "competition" period pinning the first-team offense against the first-team defense.

As he had done for much of training camp, Rodgers wowed his teammates with his ability to read the defense and make the most difficult throws in practice.  

"It's like watching Picasso paint," tackle Mekhi Becton said after one practice, per ESPN's Rich Cimini in a story published Wednesday.

"At some points, he was picking us apart and throwing dimes in there," linebacker C.J. Mosley added. "You kind of catch yourself, looking at it again, like, 'Dang, that's Aaron Rodgers throwing the ball.'"

Rodgers' strong play in practice and not in the playoffs brought about a mixed bag of emotions. 

The Jets entered the season with Super Bowl aspirations, only for those hopes to be crushed once Rodgers crumpled to the turf in Week 1. While his performance raises hope for 2024, it also sheds light on what was missed in 2023.

"The 'what if?' kind of hits you in the face pretty hard because, obviously, if you saw what we were able to do, there's a lot of what could have been," Rodgers said.

The Jets, however, cannot afford to stay in the past and mope about what might have been. New York is entering a make-or-break offseason in which it must fill many holes — namely at offensive line and wide receiver — through free agency and the draft. After a disappointing 7-10 finish that prolonged the longest postseason drought (13 seasons) in North American sports, pressure is at an all-time high for HC Robert Saleh and GM Joe Douglas to produce a winning team.

With Rodgers back at the helm, the Jets can once again feel confident heading into next season. Up until the last three practices, New York didn't definitively know what they'd be able to get out of him in 2024. While the four-time MVP is one of the best to play quarterback, he's also 40 and coming off a major injury.

Now that Rodgers is nearly back to full health and still able to sling the football, Jets owner Woody Johnson can enter the offseason content with his decision to stick with Saleh and Douglas. Even with an unprecedented number of star coaches available (Bill Belichick, Mike Vrabel, Jim Harbaugh and Pete Carroll), New York will run it back next season with the aforementioned duo — largely because Rodgers supports them. 

Rodgers proved that he can effectively run the Jets offense in practice with the current coaches and players. It remains to be seen, however, if he can replicate that success in a real game.