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New York Jets

New York Jets

Aaron Rodgers To Make New York Jets Debut vs. G-Men On Saturday

Author Michael Cohen
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - AUGUST 12: Aaron Rodgers #8 of the New York Jets looks on from the sideline during the second quarter of a preseason game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on August 12, 2023 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

Aaron Rodgers will make is debut as Jets quarterback on Saturday night when Gang Green takes on the New York Giants in the annual preseason tilt at MetLife Stadium.

And for those wondering, yes, we will see the starters for both teams. According to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, the Giants plan to start most of their regulars, including quarterback Daniel Jones.

While the Giants deserve a lot of attention in their own right, especially Jones who will get another opportunity to work with some of the new toys on offense: Darren Waller this means you, most of the media focus will be on Rodgers and the Jets.

Understandably so.

Gang Green has been the talk of the town the past five months since Rodgers went on the Pat McAfee Show and said he was coming to New York.

Rodgers looked great in camp but has not played a down in the preseason.

The Jets want to get Rodgers some reps with the first-team offense before the season opener against Buffalo. There will be a special focus on the offensive line, which is fully healthy now after left tackle Duane Brown and guard Lakin Tomlinson returned from injuries. Mekhi Becton, who had a lot of question marks about him, will be at right tackle alongside Alijah Vera-Tucker.

It will be interesting to see how this Jets offensive line handles the Giants pass rush. Protecting Rodgers will be the key to Gang Green’s season. In addition, we’ll get a glimpse of what Rodgers looks like with new weapons like Garret Wilson. Those two hooked up a lot in training camp.

Big Blue View:

We probably won’t see any Saquon Barkley on Saturday night, but we will see a lot of Daniel Jones, and how he handles the Jets’ heavy blitz packages.

The Jets were fourth in total defense last season. It will be fun to watch Giants left tackle Andrew Thomas go up against rookie Will McDonald and/or Jermaine Johnson. How about Quinnen Williams against rookie center John Michael Schmitz Jr.?

This is gonna be fun. And, by the way, these two teams meet for real in Week 8.

Who Are The 4 NFL Quarterbacks Kids Like Best?

This past weekend, I spent many hours with youth football players that range from age 10 – 12 years old. My son is a youth player, and  I noticed at least six different NFL jerseys being worn by him and his teammates. This led me to wonder, who are kids’ favorite NFL quarterbacks today?

I was reminiscing about which athletes kids looked up to when I was 10 years-old. It was simple. Your favorite player was typically one of the stars on your favorite (usually hometown) team. Occasionally, a universal big name like Joe Montana would jump into the mix. However, many of the big Montana fans I knew growing up in New Jersey were then San Francisco 49ers fans. This was usually due to their admiration of Montana. I don’t see that to frequently be the case today.

It is not uncommon for kids to gravitate more towards specific players now as opposed to an overall team. There are two main reasons why I find this to be the modern way of fandom for youth today.

First is fantasy football. In fantasy football, you cheer for individual players. The team winning or losing doesn’t matter, the player on your team putting up big numbers does. It’s great for the NFL to have kids intently invested with so many games per week.

Second, players are digitally accessible. Meaning, you can engage differently with a player much more in our social media universe. Players share a glimpse into their lives and who they are off the field. The NFL as a league leaned into this a partnered with TikTok back in 2019 to give fans even more content.

Why Do Kids Select A Favorite Player?

It’s a question with many answers. 30 years ago I would have said, “I love Phil Simms because he is the New York Giants’ fearless leader.” I asked 30 local youth athletes this as a follow-up question upon them naming their favorite NFL quarterback. Often the answer was related to the Quarterback’s persona. Their style of play, their personality, and even their jersey number was mentioned.

So tallying up the 30 youth football players I asked, here are the kids’ favorite NFL quarterbacks that are active today.

  • #4 Jalen Hurts

    Hurts received 10% of the votes. A year ago, I don’t believe his name would have been mentioned. However, Hurts skyrocketed last year and brought the Philadelphia Eagles to the Super Bowl. He showcased a fast style of play where he could run just as well as he throws. Kids love someone who takes the media world by storm. Furthermore, Hurts wears #1, and this has become an increasingly popular jersey number.

     

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    A post shared by Jalen Hurts (@jalenhurts)

  • #3 Josh Allen

    Being on the cover of Madden certainly helps. Allen’s quaterback style is similar to Hurts’ in that he too can use his legs. Seven kids named Allen (who is not a huge force on social media) their favorite because of his character. He plays ever game like it’s his last. My neighbor said, “It feels like every game the is the Super Bowl when Allen is leading the Bills offense on a drive down the field.” It’s a fair point. Allen dives and scraps for every single yard, and the kids are seeing it and reacting to that.

  • #2 Joe Burrow

    “Joe Cool” is not his nickname, but it should be. Here’s a great example of TikTok and shorts influencing youth player today. My son still watches the clip of Burrow throwing a spinning 50-yard, no-look pass perfectly down the sideline, from warmup last season. Burrow has an edge. He has confidence. Furthermore, he’s as good as they come. Burrow is the modern quarterback who has the skill set of a historical, prototypical QB. His black, orange, and white jersey is also pretty Joe “cool.” He received eight votes.

  • #1 Patrick Mahomes

    #15 got the most votes with 12, and is the clear #1 among the group of kids that I spoke to. Mahomes is a brand unto himself. He has his own style of play. He is innovative and his coach Andy Reid allows him to implement plays that people have never seen run before. “Mahomes is just in another league,” my son said. “And he wins.” His two Super Bowl rings also sit beside his two MVP awards. “We see that what Mahomes does, actually works,” another youth player said. He has a valid point.

Michael Cohen is the News and Sports Director at Fox Sports Radio New Jersey and Magic 98.3 FM, as well as a radio production assistant with Fox and Magic in New Jersey. He started his career in Somerset in 2018 initially as a news fill-in at WCTC 1450 AM, and soon moved up to higher responsibilities in the ensuing years, assuming News & Sports Director title in 2021Prior to his time with Fox Sports New Jersey, Michael was play-by-play voice for New Jersey Jackals baseball, and as well as play-by-play and color for the College of Staten Island basketball (men and women), softball and baseball. Michael began his career as a news and sportswriter with the Jersey Journal of Hudson County.

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