“Can’t Coach Scared..”: Jets HC Robert Saleh Challenges Aaron Rodgers To Break 5-Year Tradition

Aaron Rodgers is heading for his official Jets debut sooner than anticipated, confirmed Rober Saleh, the head coach of the Jets on Tuesday. The four-time NFL MVP will hit the field in a Jets jersey in the preseason showdown against the Giants on Saturday, August 26 before he dives to the regular season starting on September 11. 

The decision is however concerning with the Jets having their pre-season curse with quarterbacks like Chad Pennington and Mark Sanchez who got injured against the Giants in preseason games over the years. However, Coach Saleh does not see the point in stalling at all and he is not playing safe either.

Coach Robert Saleh wants A-Rod to take the plunge

Amidst the concerns about the potential for injuries in the preseason games, Saleh feels there is room for injuries everywhere, not just on the gridiron. “You can’t coach scared, you can’t play scared,” He said.“You can slip out of your car and have something happen to you. Knock on wood, everyone will be fine.”

A-Rod’s appearance at the fourth pre-season game of the Jets marks his return to exhibiting plays after five years. He got some preseason action for the last time back in 2018, while with the Green Bay Packers. Rodgers spent the three preseason games on the sidelines, wearing a headset and watching the game while the 24-year-old Zach Wilson started the games. After the 13-6 preseason loss to Tampa Bay last Saturday night, Saleh had hinted about Rodgers’ appearance at the preseason. 

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“Ultimately, he’ll have his thoughts, too, but for us as an organization, he’s new. I know he’s been in the league a very long time, but we just didn’t want Sept. 11 to be the first time that he stepped into MetLife Stadium,” Saleh said. Further adding to it, he said, “The Giants and Jets game, whether it’s preseason or regular season, there’s gonna be a good turnout, there’s gonna be a lot of anticipation and excitement in the building.”

And Saleh does not want it to be a brief cameo as he expects Rodgers to go through multiple series on Saturday. And Rodgers was more than open to the idea.

Aaron Rodgers is all in for the Super Bowl this year

Rodgers had already stated his willingness to throw some snaps for the preseason matches. However, he could feel the nervousness of Saleh as he approached the QB.

“But I was already leaning towards asking him to play. So it was an easy conversation,” said Rodgers who is on board with Saleh on taking the risks. “I used to enjoy playing in the preseason in my younger years, just to kind of take that first hit or feel the nerves in the first drive. So I look forward to being out there”, he further added.

Rodgers feels the urgency to get things done within two weeks ahead of the season and now the anticipation for the preseason showdown adds to the excitement.

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