Aaron Rodgers Status for Preseason Finale Up in the Air
It has been 11 months since Aaron Rodgers last suited up for a football game. 11 months since he took a snap from center in a packed house while staring down the barrel of the Buffalo Bills front seven. 11 months since the fortunes of Rodgers and the Jets changed in 2023 when his Achilles gave way, effectively ending the season for all involved.
So it is no wonder that in some corners of Jets Nation, fans are debating whether Head Coach Robert Saleh and crew should start Rodgers in the preseason finale against the cross-town New York Giants.
So far Saleh has been mum on the subject. Earlier in training camp he indicated that the club was just fine with not playing Rodgers at all in the preseason.
Rodgers tried to make a joke of it during an interview with CBS’ Ian Eagle during the Jets-Panthers broadcast, saying that Saleh “ruled me out a few weeks ago,” adding with a grin, “we’ll see.”
It is certainly understandable. The Jets do not want to see something happen to the future Hall of Famer in a meaningless preseason game, and with the San Francisco 49ers coming up in Week 1 of the regular season.
The days of starters seeing action in preseason is virtually unheard of anymore. There was a day starters would play a series, or even a half in preseason.
That’s not the case anymore.
As teams hold more in-house scrimmages with local rivals during training camp, it has lessoned the need to risk players in game action during the summer.
The Jets have a lot invested in Rodgers and the starters around him. The last they want is something to go wrong before the season even begins … again.
WHY STARTERS SHOULD PLAY…
On the other hand, there is case to be made for starters to play in preseason. The Giants sent Daniel Jones and the starting offense out on the field against Houston on Saturday. Jones is coming off an ACL injury, and is in the midst of a quarterback battle with Drew Lock. Head Coach Brian Daboll and crew needed to see how the offense looked regardless of results.
One could argue that it would be beneficial to see how Rodgers looks with a revamped O-Line and another weapon in Mike Williams before fully unleashing the beast on September 8.
Still though, the Giants and Jets will scrimmage one another on Wednesday in Florham Park. There will be plenty of opportunities for the starters on both teams to get their work in then. After that expect Saleh to make the call not to play his starters on Saturday against Big Blue, which means Rodgers sits another week before the opener.
Best Handcuff Running Backs: Fantasy Football
Elijah Mitchell
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 20: Head coach Kyle Shanahan of the San Francisco 49ers greets Elijah Mitchell #25 before the NFC Divisional Playoffs against the Green Bay Packers at Levi’s Stadium on January 20, 2024 in Santa Clara, California.
Mitchell is the obvious number one handcuff in fantasy football this year, playing in one of the best offenses in football while playing behind a guy in Christian McCaffery, who has played over 10 games just once since 2019. Mitchell should be taken by all McCaffery owners, even if that means you have to take him earlier then you might have wanted to. If something were to happen to McCaffery, Mitchell instantly becomes a number one running back. Mitchell fell 37 yards of a one-thousand-yard year during the 2021 campaign, but only played in 11 games. For guys looking to add some trade value to there team by adding Mitchell, or just wanting to have that lottery ticket sit on there bench, feel confident taking Mitchell in the double digit round area because you should get at least 4-5 weeks of Mitchell with double digit carries, and the potential for so much more.
Braelon Allen
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – AUGUST 17: Braelon Allen #0 of the New York Jets looks on during the first half of their preseason game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on August 17, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Allen was taken by the Jets with the 134th pick in this past draft and has already established himself as the top option behind Breece Hall. In what figures to be a potent offense this year with Aaron Rodgers leading the Jets offense, Allen has demonstrated great pass catching ability out of the backfield over his first summer in the NFL. Should an injury happen to Hall, Allen will slide right in as the Jets number one option. Rodgers likes to get his running backs the football and should Allen be given the opportunity, he could be a high end RB2 with the potential to be a RB1 in PPR formats.
Will Shipley
BALTIMORE, MD – AUGUST 09: Will Shipley #39 of the Philadelphia Eagles celebrates after catching a pass for a touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens during the first quarter of a preseason game at M&T Bank Stadium on August 9, 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland.
Shipley, the rookie, will be backing up Saquan Barkley in a run heavy Eagles offense in his first year. In 2022, Shipley had 15 touchdowns, to go along with 1,182 yards at Clemson, and has shown an elite ability to catch the ball out of the back field so far in camp. Barkley has a lengthy injury history, and should he miss time, Shipley is going to be a guy you want on your team, in this run heavy offense, and makes him a must have handcuff to Saquan Barkley.
AJ Dillon
DETROIT, MICHIGAN – NOVEMBER 23: AJ Dillon #28 of the Green Bay Packers carries the ball against Tracy Walker III #21 of the Detroit Lions during the first quarter of the game at Ford Field on November 23, 2023 in Detroit, Michigan.
Dillon has been in the Green Bay offense for a long tine and will now find him self in a back-up role to new comer, Josh Jacobs. Jacobs is a straight ground and pound runner, so Dillon will hold some value as the likely third down running back, as well as being on the field in for sure passing situations. Dillon will go earlier in drafts for that reason, but if you’re using an early pick on Jacobs, Dillon is a must have handcuff.
Blake Corum
ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN – SEPTEMBER 03: Blake Corum #2 of the Michigan Wolverines runs the ball against the Colorado State Rams during the first half at Michigan Stadium on September 03, 2022 in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Corum, the rookie from Michigan will find himself backing up starter Kyren Williams in his first year as a pro. The Rams are “prioritizing” keeping Williams fresh, so that should mean Corum will get some opportunities early on in the year even without a Williams injury. Williams is elite, but if he cant stay healthy, Corum and his hard running style will fit nicely into the Rams offense, and he would become an instant RB1. Corum is a must have handcuff to Williams drafters.
