Garrett Wilson sounds confident Jets offense will thrive with Aaron Rodgers

New York Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson received an apology from quarterback Aaron Rodgers shortly after Rodgers went down with a torn Achilles in the team's 2023 regular-season opener last September.

Wilson sounds excited about what the New York offense can achieve with Rodgers back in the lineup beginning with the Week 1 "Monday Night Football" matchup at the San Francisco 49ers on Sept. 9.

"We’re [more] comfortable than where we were last year," Wilson recently said about the New York offense while speaking with SNY Jets reporter Jeane Coakley (h/t Ben Krimmel). "With that said, we still got a lot of room to grow, which is probably the most exciting thing about it, 'cause I feel like we’re in a good spot."

Months before Gang Green acquired Rodgers from the Green Bay Packers in April 2023, the Jets hired Nathaniel Hackett as their offensive coordinator largely because Hackett was Rodgers' OC with Green Bay from 2019 through the 2021 season.

As shown by ESPN stats, the Rodgers-less Jets ultimately finished Hackett's first campaign with the organization ranked 31st in the league with an average of 268.6 offensive yards per game and 29th with an average of 15.8 points scored per contest.

It was reported back in May that the Jets "made legitimate attempts this offseason to hire someone who would, essentially, replace Hackett" and "would run" the team's offense. Hackett instead stayed put, and many outsiders assume Rodgers is now a "player-coach" as he attempts to give the Jets more than four meaningful snaps this coming season.

In the early days of training camp, Rodgers and Wilson went viral after cameras caught them having animated conversations during practices. Both players later insisted their relationship is just fine, and Wilson told Coakley about how he's worked to improve being "at that spot right on time" because the future Hall of Famer "puts the ball where it needs to be every time" on pass plays.

"I’m excited because this growth — what comes with playing with a guy like that — isn’t something that everyone gets to experience in this league … now it’s up to me to take full advantage of it," Wilson added about having Rodgers as his QB1.

Rodgers dealt with multiple injury issues during his final season with the Packers, is coming off a setback that can shorten careers and will turn 41 years old this coming December.

Wilson may be right about the Jets offense being better today than it was on Aug. 12 of last year, but it remains unknown how Rodgers will shake off the understandable rust he accumulated amid his recovery.