Jets WR Garrett Wilson & Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers
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Ahead of the Jets' game against the Steelers, WR Garrett Wilson discussed QB Aaron Rodgers.
By now, the New York Jets have established that wide receiver Garrett Wilson is a face of the franchise. Their NFL Draft selection of him proved it, as did the lucrative contract extension he signed this offseason. Another indicator was the continued investment in Wilson after the Aaron Rodgers experiment at quarterback failed.
All is well that ends well, or even what ends in a failure for the team as a whole. Despite some bumps along the way, Wilson seems to have enjoyed his time with Rodgers in retrospect.
Ahead of Week 1’s showdown between New York and Rodgers new team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, Wilson opened up about the previous two years of his career.
Garrett Wilson Calls Former Jets QB Aaron Rodgers a ‘Living Legend’
Contrary to popular belief, Wilson found tremendous value in working alongside Rodgers on a daily basis.
“Obviously, I got the opportunity to play with a living legend in this game,” Wilson said to the media this week. “For me, every day I got to learn something. I tried to go about it the right way and always make sure I was being a sponge. Man, it’s hard to put into words exactly what I took away from those experiences sitting next to him and hearing the way he talks about ball. I learned a lot.”
One of those years was with Rodgers watching from afar. The future Hall of Fame signal-caller’s torn Achilles in Week 1 of the 2023-24 campaign threw a wrench in the organization’s plans. He led the Jets to a measly 5-12 record upon returning, falling well short of the club’s playoff hopes.
Wilson chalks it up as a thing of the past. Now, he’s focused on the task at hand.
“As far as the way things went, that’s the game we play,” Wilson said. “When you put together a roster, a team, you’ve got to go out and play on Sundays. When it came to Sundays, we didn’t play our best football, and that’s what that was.
“But we have another opportunity to make right on that, starting on Sunday. That’s the exciting thing for everyone in this locker room who was here these last two years — the expectation is still there. It’s greater. Let’s go out and play good football on Sundays. We know what we missed out on, right? Let’s go out and play good ball.”
Despite Respect, Wilson & Rodgers Haven’t Communicated Since QB’s Departure
Rodgers is a polarizing figure in many regards. On the field, he’s demanding presence who requests the best out of his teammates. He’s known to pick favorites and command control of the offense. He’s oftentimes ran things his way, not the way others have influenced him to. That can lead to some rocky relationships with peers.
Wilson doesn’t seem to be one of those. With that said, the Pro Bowl-caliber wideout revealed that he hasn’t spoken to Rodgers since the Jets decided to move forward without him.
“I haven’t talked to Aaron since he left,” Wilson said. “Wish him the best this season. We haven’t chopped it up since he left.”
In 17 games with Rodgers a year ago, Wilson set career-high marks for receptions (101), receiving yards (1,104) and touchdowns (7). He also saw his success rate rise from 44% to 53.9% and his passer rating when targeted spike to 88.2. Even with the in-season pickup of Rodgers’ top friend in the league, Davante Adams, Wilson found ways to produce.
Wilson is grateful for the time he had with Rodgers. With Justin Fields now under center, he’s applying those lessons learned in hopes that 2025-26 will be even smoother.