The Jets are about to give the green light to Aaron Rodgers to mount signals at the line of scrimmage.
Training camp kicks off Wednesday, and one of the main points of focus on the offense will be getting the two factions on the same page as it relates to Rodgers’ preferred form of post-huddle communication.
Garrett Wilson, Corey Davis, CJ Uzumah, and other pass players who have never played for Rodgers will have to learn the many hand gestures that quarterbacks make, which former Packers receivers Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb, as well as offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, are already familiar with.
“It’s something he’s very proud of, and something we’d love to see as he takes advantage of certain areas on the field,” Hackett said. “It definitely puts a little bit of pressure on the wide receivers because they can never hold something they’re going to do. If the quarterback sees something useful, he will give you something very quickly, and you have to have your eyes on him and your eyes on the ball.”
Rodgers has had weekly hand-signal meetings in the season with the Packers’ offensive linemen and the expectation is that he will continue with the Jets.
Brushing his arm or tapping his helmet is how detail-focused Rodgers alerts receivers and tight ends to change lanes based on prep appearance and defense spacing.
“We got a few simple things to start with, and then we’ll start ramping it up once camp comes,” Rodgers said on the final day of the OTAs. “Just relax in it, and experience it every single day. The fun part is walking around not just turning off your brain and becoming a robot. Test it on cues, test it on cadence, test it on alignment and the slight adjustments we might have only talked about in the locker room. Guys pick it up really well.”
The reward for attention is Rodgers’ confidence and the chance to put up big numbers.
Rodgers made a huge exception last season with an article in The Athletic that linked his complex unwritten references to the Packers’ history of ineffective rookie receivers throughout his career.
It’s hard for young players to remember during fast plays, said rookie Romeo Dobbs, veteran Sammy Watkins and backup player Jordan Love.
Complaints that Rodgers was a quick tester about information he didn’t know far removed from the atmosphere inside the planes.
“He’s a great communicator and a great teacher,” said quarterback coach Rob Calabrese. “When he talks to receivers or tight ends about how he wants only certain avenues of experience, it’s special.”
The Giants’ secondary seemed to have no problem learning Rodgers’ cues against them last season.
When Rodgers touched his shoulder before a fourth down pass, safety Julian Love reported the ball was coming to the side of Nick McCloud and Xavier McKinney released the pass pass due to an incompletion.
While the Packers relied heavily on rookie receivers last season, the Jets’ top eight players average six years of experience in the NFL and the youngest, Wilson, is the NFL Offensive Player of the Year.
How much responsibility does the receiver have to learn those signals?
“It’s all on them,” receivers coach Zach Azani said. “I don’t want to speak for Aaron and Huck, but we probably did less than 10 percent of that stuff in terms of signaling.” [in the spring]. These things are growing exponentially as we go forward.”
Ezzani is another newcomer who learns Rodgers signals under pressure that he might “get the side eye” if the receiver misses.
He cited an example of ironing out kinks in the June 9 round.
“Men say, ‘What is this signal? “I don’t know,” Ezzani said. It may have been from 2011, but let’s get on the same page. That’s the cool thing about having all of these guys here [voluntarily], and work through these things. “
Attendance is mandatory come Wednesday.
Lazard and Cobb would step into the meetings to let others know about some of Rodgers’ favorite intricacies in a given game.
But Rodgers’ voice carries the most weight – and the Gates understand they have to be ready for him when he talks with his hands.
“He did it a little bit,” Hackett said.
