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Zach Wilson will be enjoying his 24th birthday on the football field Thursday night for the Hall of Fame Game against the Cleveland Browns to kick off the 2023 preseason schedule.
Aaron Rodgers won’t be on the field for the New York Jets as much as fans might want to see him in action against a defense other than his own at training camp practice. But the four-time MVP will be watching his new backup quarterback closely, as they’ve formed quite the bond.
In fact, Rodgers already showed how close these two are by giving him a birthday post on his Instagram Stories – one that poked a little fun at the new 24-year-old.
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Quarterback Aaron Rodgers, #8, and Zach Wilson, #2, of the New York Jets jog during the teams OTAs at Atlantic Health Jets Training Center on June 9, 2023, in Florham Park, New Jersey. (Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
"Happy birthday, little bro," Rodgers posted with a cake emoji and a hilarious photo of Wilson in a Captain America costume from what appears to be his days at BYU.
Though Wilson was expected to be the team’s franchise quarterback when he was selected with the No. 2 overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft, he didn’t have the start to his career that he would’ve liked. It came to a head last season when Wilson was benched on multiple occasions by head coach Robert Saleh, resulting in the front office and ownership rethinking their quarterback position for this year.
JETS' AARON RODGERS OFFERS ADVICE TO ZACH WILSON: ‘LOOK AT THIS AS A CHANCE TO RESET’
Rodgers’ blockbuster trade with the Green Bay Packers was the result, bringing the veteran in to completely revamp the offense and launch the Jets’ expectations through the roof this season.
Wilson said he would be giving any veteran quarterback the Jets brought in this season "hell" in training camp. But his relationship with Rodgers developed long before they were teammates, and Rodgers has said nothing but positive things about Wilson since he came aboard.
Aaron Rodgers, #8, and Zach Wilson, #2, of the New York Jets look on during training camp at Atlantic Health Jets Training Center on July 22, 2023, in Florham Park, New Jersey. (Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
"He has played really, really well in camp," Rodgers said of Wilson, per ProFootballTalk. "He’s made a number of great throws. He looks confident. His fundamentals are improving. He’s throwing the ball on time. He’s got all the intangibles. . . . I think he’ll look back years from now and be really thankful for this time to grow, to reset, to take a breath, and it’s gonna set him up for a nice long career in the league."
Like Rodgers did before him with Brett Favre, he sat back and learned while being groomed for his turn as starter. Wilson was thrown into the fire quickly by the Jets, and that result with ex-offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur – the younger brother of Rodgers’ Packers counterpart, head coach Matt LaFleur – didn’t yield the results the Jets wanted to see.
Perhaps now, Rodgers’ mentorship of Wilson could lead the latter to the starting role with more confidence when the 39-year-old eventually hangs up his cleats for good.
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers, #8, and Zach Wilson, #2, of the New York Jets jog during the teams OTAs at Atlantic Health Jets Training Center on June 9, 2023, in Florham Park, New Jersey. (Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
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Until then, Wilson will continue working and using preseason games like Thursday night to perfect his craft. Rodgers, on the other hand, will be focused on getting the Jets back to the playoffs, and hopefully for them, get their first Super Bowl since Joe Namath led them in Super Bowl III.