Report: Jets QBs Rodgers, Taylor having fun together as…..
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — The current vibe in the New York Jets’ quarterback room is something Aaron Rodgers never has experienced before.
“It’s way different,” he said.For a change, Rodgers gets to hang out with a teammate his own age — well, not exactly, but close enough since they were both born in the 1980s at least. Tyrod Taylor being 35 is a stark change for Rodgers, who turns 41 in December and has spent the latter half of his career surrounded by 20-something-year-olds.
From 2016 to 2023, Rodgers’ primary backups ranged in age from 22 to 25 — chronologically: Brett Hundley, DeShone Kizer, Tim Boyle and Jordan Love with the Green Bay Packers and Zach Wilson with the Jets. Over the first half of his career, his backups ranged from 23 to 29 — Matt Flynn, Graham Harrell and Scott Tolzien.
The average age of Rodgers’ top backups? 24.8.
Then along came Taylor, who, unlike Rodgers’ most recent backups, is old enough to actually have a conversation on what life was like before smartphones — or any other cultural or technological subject that predated Generation Z, for that matter.
“It’s been a lot of fun having a backup who’s in his mid-30s,” Rodgers said, smiling.
They like to have fun. Taylor is the resident fashionista, which provides fodder for good-natured razzing. It sounds like Rodgers is a bit envious of Taylor’s style, saying, “He wakes up and he’s got drip, I think they call it. He’s got a lot of swag.”
Taylor also has a lot of experience, which is a game changer for Rodgers. With a peer in the room, he can lean on Taylor for feedback, knowing he has seen just about everything in the NFL. This is Taylor’s seventh team in 14 seasons, which means he has been exposed to a variety of offensive systems. He has 59 career starts, far more than any of Rodgers’ previous backups.
The ever-inquisitive Rodgers is smart enough to recognize a valuable resource, so he tries to tap into Taylor’s wealth of knowledge. They’ve been together for only a few months, but Rodgers’ respect for his new teammate is obvious.
