Jets coach Robert Saleh said “you can’t coach scared” when asked about playing Aaron Rodgers in the final preseason game. You can’t play scared either.
The star quarterback, in his first season with the Jets, wants to play Saturday’s game against the Giants.
“There wasn’t much of a conversation with Robert,” Rodgers said Tuesday, via Rich Cimini of ESPN. “I think he was a little more nervous I might have said no, but I was already leaning toward asking him to play. So, it was an easy conversation.”
Rodgers has not played in the preseason since 2018 when he played seven snaps in the second week of exhibition play. He was supposed to play one game in the summer of 2019 but poor field conditions in Winnipeg scrapped the plan.
“There’s always that risk-reward,” Rodgers said. “I think over the years it just hasn’t made sense based on a number of different factors. I used to enjoy playing in the preseason back in my younger years, just to kind of maybe take that first hit or feel the nerves on the first drive. So, I look forward to being out there.”
Saleh indicated that Rodgers and (most of) the starters will get more than one series.
“We’ll see how it goes,” Saleh said. “I don’t want to just throw him out there for a series and get him out. I’d like to see those guys go through transition, get to the sideline, have some adjustments, get back to the field, play with those adjustments. You’d like to see that transition happen a few times.”