AFC Notes: Zach Wilson, Bills, Jets, Patriots

Bills

• Bills S Taylor Rapp was fined $9,611 for unnecessary roughness

Jets

Jets QB Aaron Rodgers said he is remaining in communication with QB Zach Wilson as the season rolls on, despite saying he likely won’t make any appearances on the sidelines.

“I talk to Zach all the time,” Rodgers said, via Zach Braziller of The New York Post. “I love Zach. Zach’s my guy. I’m pulling for him. We talk every single day. Just want him to go out and play free and confident this week. Bill Belichick and the Patriots. Jets haven’t beaten them in a while. So, good time to end the streak.”

“I miss the guys. It’s hard to be away from them,” Rodgers continued. “Hopefully, I’ll be able to get there at some point. . . . I don’t think I can be on the sidelines until I can evade guys running [into me]. I don’t know if I’ll be hanging out with Woody and Christopher [Johnson] in the owner’s box eating hot dogs. I don’t eat hot dogs.”

Rodgers then transitioned to speaking about his injury, as it seems he plans to return next season.

“Trying to get out of the boot is kind of the next goal so I feel the strength to be able to stand up on my own,” Rodgers said via Rich Cimini of ESPN. “Then the boot comes off, and then it kind of gets exciting. I think then you feel like you’re not just a big turd laying around, everybody taking care of you. So that’ll be nice.”

“It’s not easy, but there’s been some progressions with the rehab the last couple of days, so that kind of gets the hope meter kind of trending upward a little bit,” Rodgers added. “The joy meter trending up a little bit. I don’t want to get caught in a timeline. I just want to get healthy, honestly, mentally and physically, honestly. But I’m going to do everything I can rehab-wise to put myself in a position to be ready to play football again at some point. And that’s the goal. I mean, obviously, when this happened, there’s a lot of thoughts about, ‘That’s it, cash it in, you’re done.’ I just don’t feel like I am, so I’m going to put myself in a position to be able to play again.”

• Jets S Jordan Whitehead was fined $21,855 for unnecessary roughness.

Patriots

Veteran special teams specialist WR Matthew Slater had praise for what coach Joe Judge is bringing to the unit, adding that he has a next-level understanding of the game.

“Joe is as knowledgeable a special teams coach, and as experienced of a special teams coach, as there is in the league. His understanding of the game, his understanding of how to call the game, how to scout a game, how to ready his players, is next-level,” Slater said, via Mike Reiss of ESPN.

• Reiss reports that the team signed QB Will Grier to a one-year deal after QB Matt Corral changed his mind and decided to not join the team.
• Reiss also mentioned that the team added $2 million in playing time and incentives to LT Trent Brown‘s contract.
• Patriots LB Marte Mapu was fined $5,620 for unnecessary roughness.