Injured Aaron Rodgers fired up Jets teammates with this pregame

Twenty days after Aaron Rodgers was carted off the field after his fourth play with the Jets, he was back at MetLife Stadium on Sunday night watching from a box as his teammates nearly pulled off a shocking upset of the Chiefs.
But it was Rodgers’ presence in a team meeting on Saturday night that seemed to inspire the Jets to turn the page on the funk they had been in since eking out an upset over the Bills on the night they lost their future Hall of Fame quarterback to a torn Achilles.
“He just came into the team room like Batman, honestly,” receiver Allen Lazard said, partly joking as he was being careful not to reveal too much about what Rodgers actually said to the team. “And it was just kind of like a Hollywoodesque moment of just like, Aaron Rodgers appearing, walking. I thought he was about to fly, honestly. But yeah, it was just all about sticking together, believing in each other. There’s going to be rough times throughout the game, throughout the season. But to always have each other’s back and believe.”
There has been a lot of negativity for the Jets since Rodgers’ injury. Against the Patriots, CBS cameras caught several animated conversations between players and the coaching staff. Earlier in the week, Rodgers said the Jets needed to grow up and stick together.
It seemed to be a message he reiterated Saturday night. And it was one that clearly resonated through the locker room.
Especially for third-year quarterback Zach Wilson, who took a massive amount of criticism for his poor play since taking over for Rodgers. Wilson was blasted on local sports talk radio and a major topic of conversation on national shows. He was even blasted by franchise legend Joe Namath, who said he’d seen “enough” of Wilson and that the Jets should move on.
Rodgers’ appearance wasn’t the reason Wilson responded with arguably the finest performance of his career — he completed 28-of-39 passes for 245 yards and two touchdowns — but it certainly didn’t hurt.
“It was awesome because it’s the same message I think we’ve been pushing,” Wilson said. “Because it’s been a tough start to the year, stick together, for sure. And we absolutely are.”
Wilson was still downtrodden after the game because of his fumble midway through the fourth quarter that was recovered by the Chiefs. They were able to run out the clock with a three-point lead and Wilson and the Jets never touched it again.
“This game was close, and I let the guys down,” Wilson said. “But I know they have my back no matter what, and I’ve got to be better for those guys and it just makes you eager to get back to work and keep going. But that was his message. Stick together.”
It was also a morale boost for the Jets players because the last time they saw Rodgers was at halftime on Sept. 11 in a tearful halftime moment in the training room. Rodgers departed the stadium before the end of the game and hadn’t been around his teammates since.
“Last time we saw him here, that wasn’t the face that we saw — it wasn’t a smile,” Jets receiver Garrett Wilson said. “So just to erase that out of your mind and have a new picture of Aaron in your head. That’s a happy Aaron that loves to be around us and loves to talk ball, so it will be great to have him around.”
It’s unclear how long Rodgers will stay around the team as he continues his rehab. Rodgers had previously said he intended to be around the team in New Jersey when he was able to walk again. Rodgers watched the game from a box above the field Sunday because it’s still not safe for him to be on the sideline with his limited mobility. He was on the field before the game in crutches that allowed him to do some walking with what appeared to be a light brace on his left ankle.
Rodgers left the door open to a potential return this season — and even though that seems highly unlikely, for a number of reasons, it’s still obvious that his presence around the team is meaningful.
“[Saturday] was outstanding,” Jets coach Robert Saleh said. “To have him back and talk to the team. His teammates love him. We love him. He loves his teammates. Just glad he’s back around the building. I’ve told you guys, he’s an unbelievable human. He really is. His presence, it’s like family, like big brother walked back in for those guys in the locker room. I think it’s appreciated.”
“It’s always exciting to see the big brother,” Wilson said. “Can’t wait to get him on the sideline with us and all of that, but it’s always good to have him around.”