NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
The New York Jets are set to learn that winning in the NFL takes a combination of things. You must have skills, good coaching, a solid organization, good players, some luck, and leadership. This is what the Jets have now. This offseason, they not only landed talent, but they also landed great leadership.
Aaron Rodgers is exactly what the Jets needed. Not just in terms of his ability to perform on the field, but the ability to make others want to perform. Watching Hard Knocks this season, you can see the excitement at Jets Camp. But what you also see is the magic that Rodgers brings. It was the same with Tom Brady when he arrived with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. No one wanted to let him down. This is the missing pieces that Rodgers adds to that team. But he’s not alone.
Last week, the New York Jets made another huge move when they signed RB Dalvin Cook to a one-year deal. Yes, his presence will take away from what Breece Hall was able to provide but a close look will reveal that the Jets have the Super Bowl in their sights and TEAM is what will get them there.
Leader is a title that’s been missing from Rodgers’ repertoire if you let the media tell it. According to those sources, Aaron Rodgers was sort of a headache in Green Bay. But when has any of his former players said he was? Last I checked, no one has said a thing. As WR Garrett Wilson stated in Episode 1 of Hard Knocks, he had a preconceived notion of Rodgers already thanks to what the media was saying about him. But he was wrong.
Can The New York Jets Make The Super Bowl
Rodgers has been exactly what they need and they haven’t played one meaningful game yet. Look at Zach Wilson so far this preseason. Wilson looks like a stud and throughout all this, Rodgers is in his ear teaching him.
While Cook has not made it to the field with the Jets yet, he’s also a valuable presence in the locker room. He’s been to 4 straight Pro Bowls and has not been under 1000 yards in a season since 2018. Cook is a beast but most importantly, like Rodgers, he wants to win.
Last season, the New York Jets turned heads. By not resting with their young players, they threw caution to the wind, grabbed Rodgers, and found a way to sneak in and snatch Cook. Cook understands that his role in New York will not be the same as it was with the Minnesota Vikings, but that’s what makes his signing so scary. He doesn’t need to carry the ball 25+ times per game. A healthy and rested Cook with Hall in the same backfield spells dooms for defenses.
No matter where the New York Jets land by the end of the season, their success or failure will come down to leadership. They didn’t have it last year. On the defensive side of the ball, they were solid and yet still young. On offense, they were missing that all-important intangible.
For a team looking to climb out of the basement in the highly competitive AFC East, the Jets have their work cut out for them. Last season, it was getting to know one another and just out there playing. This season, there are expectations. Not just winning the division type, but possibly a Super Bowl. Yes, one player can cause a shift. But when you add in the presence of Cook, that more than tells the tale of where the Jest have their sights for the 2023-24 season.
Leadership. One word but with a powerful meaning for the New York Jets.
