The Jets didn’t want Aaron Rodgers’ first game action with his new team to come in the regular season opener Sept. 11 against the Bills.
That was the reasoning head coach Robert Saleh gave Tuesday regarding why the 39-year-old quarterback will play — and probably for more than one series — in Saturday’s preseason finale against the Giants at MetLife Stadium.
“Just he and I are having conversation, and ultimately he’ll have his thoughts too, but for us as an organization he’s new. I know he’s been in the league a very long time, but we just didn’t want Sept. 11 to be the first time that he stepped into MetLife Stadium,” Saleh said before practice in Florham Park. “The Giants and Jets game, whether it’s preseason or regular season, there’s gonna be a good turnout, there’s gonna be a lot of anticipation and excitement in the building.
“And I just didn’t want the first time that he goes out with his new team, new colors, new teammates, new stadium, I didn’t want Sept. 11 to be the first time.”
The four-time NFL MVP hasn’t appeared in the team’s first three preseason contests, staying on the sidelines with a headset on while watching backups Zach Wilson and Tim Boyle running the offense.
Saleh stressed that Rodgers and his new teammates need some game action to get accustomed to each other, and that the organization can’t be concerned with the 10-time Pro Bowler getting injured Saturday night against the Giants.
“No. You can’t coach scared, you can’t play scared,” Saleh said. “You can slip out of your car and have something happen to you.
“We’ll be, knock on wood, everyone will be fine. You see some of the great ones out there. Kansas City is playing their guys, Buffalo is playing their guys. It’s not uncommon. You can always play the hindsight game or the fearful game. But what’s in the best interest of our team is to go out there and play some football together and prepare ourselves the best way we can for Sept. 11.”
Thus, Saleh said, he expects Rodgers to play multiple series in Saturday’s game.
“We’ll see how it goes. I don’t want to just throw him out there for a series and get him out,” Saleh said. “I would like to see those guys go through transition and get to the sideline and have some adjustments and get back to the field and make some more adjustments and play with those adjustments.
“So, you’d like to see that transition happen a few times.”