FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- The New York Jets will open 2024 training camp with veterans reporting Tuesday at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center. Here's a closer look at a few storylines:
Can Aaron Rodgers eliminate distractions and be the player he once was?
It was quite an offseason for the polarizing quarterback, who engaged in a war of words with Jimmy Kimmel, flirted with the vice presidency as a potential running mate on Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.'s ticket and skipped mandatory minicamp to take a vacation to Egypt -- an unexcused absence. Maybe he went there to solve the riddle of the Sphinx. What he really needs to do is help the Jets solve the riddle of the postseason. They haven't made the playoffs in 13 years, the NFL's longest active drought.
All the pressure falls on Rodgers, who is returning from Achilles surgery. Can he return to his MVP level from 2021? After going down four snaps into last season, it's fair to wonder if the long layoff and the injury have exacted a toll at his advanced age (40). For Rodgers, this training camp is all about re-sharpening the nuances to his game, raising his confidence to its pre-injury level and convincing the fan base he's an all-in leader.
Training camp will be a success if... the revamped offensive line gets some quality time together. That wasn't the case a year ago because of pre-existing injuries, and it set the tone for an ugly season. There was no continuity and the Jets got burned early -- Rodgers' Week 1 injury, which occurred on the first of 64 sacks.
The current is group is dealing with two players coming off surgery -- right guard Alijah Vera-Tucker (Achilles) and right tackle Morgan Moses (pectoral muscle). Both are expected for camp, but they could be on pitch counts. Ditto, left tackle Tyron Smith, who is healthy but will be on a maintenance program because of his injury history. The starting five didn't get any practice time as a group in the spring. It has a chance to be pretty good, but the line needs time on task. Keeping Rodgers on the field is Priority No. 1.
The person with the most to prove: Offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett kept his job because of his close relationship with Rodgers, but now it's time to prove he's better than what unfolded over the last two seasons. He was fired during a disastrous first year as the Denver Broncos' head coach, and then he presided over a Jets offense that scored a league-low 18 touchdowns. Has a coach ever had a two-year run worse than that?
Hackett will continue as the primary playcaller, but that doesn't mean his job is secure. If the offense sputters, coach Robert Saleh, who spent an inordinate amount of time with the offense during the offseason, can turn to passing-game coordinator Todd Downing. The Hackett-Rodgers relationship is one of the keys to the season.
Most impactful offseason addition: Ideally, this should be edge rusher Haason Reddick, but there's an asterisk here because of the uncertainty surrounding his contract situation, and as result, news broke Tuesday morning that he wouldn't report when training camp opened up.
From all indications, Reddick, who skipped the entire offseason, wants a new contract. Right now, he's the 19th-highest paid edge rusher at $15 million per year, with one year remaining. The Jets prefer to wait until after the season. This should've been resolved when they acquired him from the Philadelphia Eagles in late March, but here we are. Will he be a training camp holdout? Chances are, he will show up, considering the daily $50,000 fine if he skips.
When he's on the field, Reddick is a pass-rushing machine -- 50.5 sacks over the last four seasons, many of them strip sacks. The defense loses some girth against the run with the 240-pound Reddick, but sturdy Micheal Clemons is available to handle the dirty work.
Fiercest fantasy-relevant battle: Who will be Rodgers' No. 2 option in the passing game? We all know wide receiver Garrett Wilson is entrenched as the No. 1. The best bet is tight end Tyler Conklin, who can fill the No. 2 role until wide receiver Mike Williams gets comfortable. Returning from ACL surgery, Williams is targeting a Week 1 return, but he will need an acclimation period.
Conklin (61 receptions) is a reliable intermediate receiver who built a nice rapport with Rodgers in OTAs. Running back Breece Hall (76) finished second in catches, behind Wilson (95), but his total figures to drop because Rodgers will do a better job of getting the ball to the wideouts and tight ends than the backups who replaced him last season.