The Jets are no ‘Hard Knocks’ novelty this season

Welcome to Camp Calm.

That is the feeling around the Jets a few days into training camp. Gone are the “Hard Knocks” cameras and all that came with them. The disbelief of seeing Aaron Rodgers in a Jets uniform has been replaced with an acceptance that he is actually the team’s quarterback and hope that he can stay healthy.

Last year at this time, it felt like an experiment. Could the Jets add a Hall of Fame quarterback to a top-five defense and challenge for a Super Bowl? This year the experimentation has been replaced with experience. The Jets have lived with Rodgers for more than a year now, even if his time on the field ended after four plays.

The feeling around the team now is that they know what needs to be done, rather than wondering if they could get it done.

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“We’ve been through it,” coach Robert Saleh said. “You know, last year the offseason with the hype machine and all that good stuff, where this year is a little bit more, guys are locked in. It’s just a different feel. I can’t put my thumb on it to try to explain it in this press conference, but it’s definitely a different feeling.”

Even the fans seem different.

Thursday’s practice was the first open to fans. There was still a good crowd there, but it was not like the first practice last year — which felt more like a rock concert than a football practice. Fans still went nuts when Rodgers threw a 40-yard pass to Garrett Wilson on the first play of the 11-on-11 period. But the novelty of seeing Rodgers in a Jets uniform is no longer there.

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When you speak to people around the team, the term “businesslike” comes up. The entire organization knows it is now or never for this team. Another year without a playoff appearance will result in massive changes. Team owner Woody Johnson is out of patience, and there will be no more do-overs like they’re getting this season.

The pressure is on Rodgers to carry the Jets to the postseason. Saleh has an 18-33 record but may finally get a season with a star quarterback to complement his defense. General manager Joe Douglas bolstered the offensive line and added wide receiver Mike Williams to give Rodgers another weapon. If things go south, all three men likely will be somewhere else next year.

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Though that pressure will linger all season, it does not seem to have anyone tense right now. There is a level of comfort around the team. There are new pieces, but many of the same faces are back. They have a second year with Rodgers and a second year with offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. Many of the defensive starters are in their third or fourth year under Saleh and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich.

“The vibe of the team is different this year,” Rodgers said. “Obviously, last year there was a lot of hype around me and ‘Hard Knocks.’ This year, some stuff has settled down, I feel like we’re a little bit more settled in.”

This is not to say the Jets are going to fly under the radar in any way. They are still under a media microscope and remain one of the most talked about teams in the NFL. On the first day of training camp, the main story was edge rusher Haason Reddick’s holdout. But that story will not be a daily nuisance like Darrelle Revis’ holdout was back in 2010. The Reddick story will bubble up every once in a while, but it should not dominate the talk around the Jets.

“It’s just a lot calmer,” Saleh said. “Guys have a much more businesslike approach to the way we are approaching things, just taking things one day at a time, and trying to be our best every day.”

There could be an injury or another storyline that disrupts Camp Calm at some point over the next few weeks. With the Jets, there is always a concern that trouble is not far away.

But, for now, this feels like a team that knows what the mission is, and has confidence built off a turbulent 2023 season and another year with Rodgers at quarterback. They hype and hubris of 2023 has been replaced with hope and hunger to end the 13-year playoff drought.

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