Aaron Rodgers’ untimely departure left more questions than answers for the New York Jets. However, the arrival of head coach Aaron Glenn and quarterback Justin Fields has brought some answers, amid a much-needed dose of silence to the team’s locker room.
Rodgers’ time with the Jets left fans with a very sour aftertaste. His first year ended with just his fourth overall snap with the team, due to an Achilles injury, and although he threw the entire route in his second season, it was barely enough to leave the Jets with a 5-12 record.
Glenn’s arrival in the offseason effectively ended Rodgers’ tenure in New York, and Fields’ coming a few weeks ago seems to have sent a very clear, if silent, message to the fans and Rodgers himself: we’ve moved on.
Fields’ silence speaks louder than Rodgers’ words
The fifth-year quarterback’s comments have been sparse since he arrived in New York. Shortly after leaving the Pittsburgh Steelers to sign with the Jets, Fields had a few words of appreciation for Glenn: “AG… the kind of coach he is, how passionate he is… he knows what it takes.” But since then, he has remained silent.
Turning the page to the era when Rodgers dominated the team’s headlines, Glenn has made it clear that Fields is doing everything necessary to take over the team. “He’s doing everything he can to improve, and whatever advantage he can get from coaching, strength, and conditioning, being on the field, he’s going to get that.”
He assured that his new quarterback is taking advantage of everything the team is giving him. “He’s going to take the advantage and he’s going to run with it. So I’m very happy with where he’s at.”
What’s next for Fields and the Jets
Rodgers’ departure doesn’t mean the end of the drama for the Jets. The team’s first regular-season game will be against the visiting Steelers, the team that not only benched Fields when he was clicking with the offense but also tried to retain him after the humiliating episode.
The controversy is rife. However, unlike the Rodgers era, the headlines will be about sports and not all the off-field drama the 20-year veteran usually generates.
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