Bill Belichick cites Aaron Rodgers' weapons as major threats to division rivals
They have Aaron Rodgers, but to see the New York Jets getting praise from Bill Belichick still feels a bit weird.
One of the most interesting people to follow in the 2024 NFL season will be Belichick. He's not the New England Patriots head coach anymore, which means that he'll be free to give opinions on everything related to the league in his new media roles.
The six-time Super Bowl champion holds a 39-12 record against the New York Jets – even working as the head coach of the franchise for a total – one day. But he knows that, in 2024, the Jets are going to be a threat, and he listed Aaron Rodgers and the offense as some of the main reasons.
On his new show "Coach with Bill Belichick", he said:
"The Jets are one of the hardest teams to prepare for from a skill standpoint, because of Breece Hall. And defensively, you want to do everything you can get the ball out of his hands and load the box. The problem is, if you load the box, you're singled out there on Wilson, and that's a tall order right there to deal with him in one-on-one coverage.
"And Aaron will know where the defense is heavy and where they're light, and be able to work the ball there, and they just need to solidify the consistency of the offensive line. But on paper, I think they have a good offense, and they're hard to defend, with a good quarterback, a great wide receiver, and a great running back," he added.
In his final season as Patriots head coach, Belichick didn't have to gameplan against the veteran quarterback, as he suffered a season-ending injury in Week 1 and never got to play New England.
Jets, Rodgers open their season against San Francisco 49ers
New York's team will have a tough task on the opening Monday Night Football of the season, as they'll travel cross-country to play Brock Purdy and the reigning NFC champions San Francisco 49ers. The biggest storyline of the game, of course, is Rodgers' comeback.
The Jets have one of the best rosters in the NFL on paper and are looking to finally break their playoff drought since the Rex Ryan days. With Rodgers as their leader, they are expected to fight for a place in the postseason.