Jets' Zach Wilson enjoys binge-watching Packers' Aaron Rodgers at joint practice
Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, left, and Jets quarterback Zach Wilson talk during a NFL joint training camp practice on Wednesday. Credit: AP/Matt Ludtke
ASHWAUBENON, Wis. -- Zach Wilson stood near midfield as the Jets’ offense took a breather from the team’s joint practice with the Green Bay Packers.
Next thing he knew, a familiar face was walking his way. Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers approached the rookie quarterback and the two embraced. Welcome to the NFL, kid.
The Jets and the Packers went through the first of two days of practices Wednesday at Ray Nitschke Field. It is a chance for both teams to square off against competition they aren’t used to seeing and the two quarterbacks to showcase their abilities. The Jets and Packers will play a preseason game at Lambeau Field Saturday afternoon.
Wilson, who just turned 22 earlier this month, has always admired the way the 37-year-old Rodgers plays the game.
"He’s got a lot of knowledge; he’s a smart dude," Wilson said. "He knows what’s going on out there, so it’s cool to just kind of ask him about footwork, what’s going on on the field, what he’s seeing. If I could spend more time with him and just keep asking him questions, I would."
Wilson said when he was talking to the future NFL Hall of Famer, he allowed himself to escape back to when he was in high school watching Rodgers and he realized how cool it was talking to a legendary quarterback.
"We’re all technically at the same level now, we’re all in the NFL, but we’re all still kind of like, you know what, that’s Aaron Rodgers," Wilson said. "That’s kind of crazy."
"Zach’s a good kid," Rodgers said. "It’s fun to see him. I got to talk to him various times throughout the offseason."
As Wilson and Rodgers talked and shared a laugh, the other quarterbacks from both teams gathered around to chat. James Morgan, the Jets’ fourth-round pick in 2020, stood on the other side of Rodgers. Morgan played his high school ball about one mile from Lambeau Field at Ashwaubenon High School and idolized Rodgers growing up. He wore Rodgers’ No. 12 at Florida International and now wears No. 4 with the Jets because of Packers icon Brett Favre.
"James is a big fanboy. He was getting a little nervous over there," Wilson said, jokingly. "No, I’m a big fanboy, too. We all got to kind of pretend like we’ve been there before. But we enjoy just being out here and being able to talk to [Rodgers]."
Wilson and Rodgers first talked when Wilson was exploring his options for an agent before entering the draft. Wilson spoke with Rodgers’ agent, Dave Dunn, who put Rodgers in contact with the BYU star.
When Wilson wasn’t on the field for 11-on-11 action, he watched Rodgers intently from the sideline. He tried to pick up a few tricks of the trade.
"I want to do what he’s doing, but when you’ve got 16 years of experience and checks and calls he’s making on the field, the coaches -- first of all -- don’t want me to do that, right. It’s just too much on someone’s plate," Wilson said. "There’s not many guys I would say in the league that can do what he’s doing out there as far as just seeing what’s going on, changing plays.
"But I’d say the biggest thing I picked up is the 2-minute drill, just how calm and collected he is. He’s kind of just out there, almost like he’s just messing around, like playing backyard football. He’s having a good time, and he makes it work."
Wilson was playing in Mr. Rodgers’ neighborhood, but he held his own. His center, Connor McGovern, thought Wilson looked good during the joint practice.
"I felt like they were dropping a lot and playing coverage and making him make plays," said McGovern, who stressed he hadn’t watched film on the practice yet. "You could kind of see him use his feet a little bit more today. If it was covered downfield, I think he got out well. He wasn’t rushing it. He wasn’t giddy. But when there’s nothing open, he was able to go and show he has that playmaking ability."
Notes and quotes: Wide receiver Elijah Moore, safety Lamarcus Joyner (back spasms) and offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker did not practice. Defensive lineman Quinnen Williams returned to practice after missing some time recently. ... Jets backup left guard Alex Lewis announced he is retiring. Last week, Lewis was placed on the exempt/left squad list. Lewis joined the Jets in 2019, but he left the team last year to deal with some off-field issues. ... First-year head coach Robert Saleh was excited prior to the first joint practice about getting his young cornerbacks some experience against one of the best quarterback-wide receiver combinations in the NFL. "It’s a great challenge, because this group is pretty darn good," Saleh said. "It’s an experienced group. Aaron obviously is a Hall of Fame quarterback. Davante [Adams] is an All-Pro wide receiver. It’s a really good chance for them to see different players. We think our receiver group is pretty good, too."
