AFC Notes: Aaron Rodgers, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Jets, Patriots

Jets

• Jets GM Joe Douglas said he’s “very excited” about their offensive line and believes they’re still getting healthy, per Zack Rosenblatt. 
• Douglas has also been pleased with OT Mekhi Becton‘s development: “He looks like rookie Mekhi again.”
• Jets HC Robert Saleh said the “guard rails are off” for Becton’s knee injury but it will “cause discomfort” he’ll have to play through, via Rich Cimini. 
• Field Yates notes Jets CB Bryce Hall‘s restructured contract brought his cap figure down to $1.097 million from $2.82 million. 

Jets

Jets QB Aaron Rodgers said his time in New York has been a dream experience thus far and feels it’s been “really, really special.”

“I told a friend this has felt like waking up inside of a dream, this whole experience. A beautiful dream. So many times you have a great dream and you wake up and you think: I just want to get back into that but I can’t quite get back into the dream. I’ve woken up inside of that dream and it’s been really, really special. There’s a lot of times — I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again — where I just look around and say: This is my life now. How cool is this?,” said Rodgers, via Zack Rosenblatt.

Rodgers mentioned he’s had great conversations with players like OT Mekhi Becton and OT Billy Turner. 

“It happens in the locker room, it happens walking out and it’s the fresh air and the sun setting. It’s just (thinking) what an awesome day it was because of whatever it was, a conversation I had with Mekhi, getting to see Billy Turner and catch up with him, a play that happened that really was fun that we talked about and wanted to happen … or we’re driving to the city and you hit that spot before you go in the tunnel and you’re looking across to the city going: How cool is my life now? I just try to keep that perspective every day here and it’s been easy because one thing has happened almost every single day that just reminds me I’m in the right place, I’m where I’m supposed to be and I’m really just loving what this opportunity has given me. Everyday I’m thinking — and I won’t say it out loud — but I’ll sit back with the guys in the room, take a second sometimes and it’s: How cool is this?”

Patriots

When asked about Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer alleging Patriots WR JuJu Smith-Schuster‘s knee condition is a serious problem, the receiver responded he’s “getting stronger every day.”

“I don’t think my knee is a ticking time bomb,” Smith-Schuster said, via Karen Guregian of MassLive. “If anything, it’s something that’s getting stronger every day.”

Smith-Schuster said he took time to recover over the offseason and hasn’t missed a single day of training camp. 

“From the clean-up surgery, and traveling to Japan after the Super Bowl, I needed some time,” Smith-Schuster said. “There was some swelling after a six-hour flight, but it’s good now. It feels great. I haven’t missed practice since training camp started.”