AFC Notes: Haason Reddick, Aaron Rodgers, Robert Saleh, Jets

Jets

Mike Sando of The Athletic posted his NFL Quarterback Tier rankings for 2024 recently based on opinions from 50 NFL coaches and executives.

Jets QB Aaron Rodgers is a polarizing player at this point in his career. The coaches and executives dropped Rodgers from Tier 1 to Tier 2 this year.

“You go back and watch those first four plays before he got hurt, he did not look good,” a head coach placing Rodgers in Tier 3 said. “He looks old. If they can’t protect him and they can’t run the football, it’ll be just what you saw late stages in Green Bay. He became ineffective. I’m looking at what he is, not who he is.”

A separate voter expects Rodgers to be a Tier 1 quarterback based on the talent the Jets have surrounded him with at receiver.

“The complaint in Green Bay was he did not have the receiver help he needed as he got older,” another voter said. “You cannot say that now with what they have around him on the Jets. If we get a Rodgers year where the Jets are back in playoffs and winning playoff games, that’s just what happens when you have a Tier 1 quarterback.”

Jets

Jets HC Robert Saleh believes the team is better for having gone through a down year in 2023.

“To grow in the world, to grow as an individual, you got to live in uncomfortable environments,” Saleh said, via PFT. “And I would say last year was one of the more uncomfortable environments that you could create for an organization and because of it I think of players, coaches, everybody in this building are better for it and because of it. I think the team is better for it and better equipped. As coaches, I think we learned a lot from last year with regard to adjustments and the things that we need to do. I’ve said it before, not fully injury-proof, but a little injury-proof where we can adjust and move things on the fly a little bit better. But yeah, we’re definitely all better for what happened last year.”

Jets

Jets DE Haason Reddick hasn’t reported to practice all offseason after being traded from the Eagles as he awaits a new contract. New York GM Joe Douglas said they made it evident from the beginning they wanted to negotiate after he showed up but believe they will come to an agreement. 

“I think we’ve been clear from the outset: Let’s get here and then let’s talk,” Douglas said, via ESPN’s Rich Cimini. “I mean, in simple terms, we did talk about an extension. Once one wasn’t agreed upon, we had the conversation, and we felt good about making the trade. So, obviously, [he] came here, reported, had a great day here [April 1]. Again, we’re just waiting for his arrival.”

“From our standpoint, we’ve been really clear and direct with our communication. [I have a] lot of respect for the agent, a lot of respect for the player, and I have faith that this will all get resolved.”