New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh announced that Aaron Rodgers and the team's other starters will not play in their final preseason game against the New York Giants on Saturday.
Head coach Robert Saleh announced Thursday that Aaron Rodgers and the rest of the Jets' starters will sit out their final preseason game against the New York Giants on Saturday.
The 40-year-old quarterback said Tuesday he didn’t "really have a preference" whether he plays in the preseason finale.
Aaron Rodgers to Sit Out Jets' Preseason Finale
With Saleh’s decision, none of the Jets’ projected starters will have played in any of the preseason games. Last season, Rodgers and the starters played two series during preseason games.
Earlier this week, Rodgers said Saleh told him the starters had gotten about 300 more snaps than they did at this time last year.
Aaron Rodgers to Sit Out Jets' Preseason Finale
"This year, we’ve had three different scrimmages," Saleh said, "and I feel like the amount of work we got in has been very productive."
The Jets had joint practices with the Washington Commanders, Carolina Panthers, and the Giants during training camp.
Aaron Rodgers to Sit Out Jets' Preseason Finale
The four-time NFL MVP said this training camp was "much harder this year and maybe the hardest in the last seven or eight of my career."
Saleh’s decision to sit his starters this preseason had nothing to do with the fear of players getting hurt, he said.
"You can get hurt at practice," he said. "You can get hurt brushing your teeth, for crying out loud. This has everything to do with whether or not we're preparing ourselves properly and not just looking at checking the old coach's box, 'Ah, I feel good about it. We got to go play.'"
Rodgers isn’t the only quarterback who won’t play against the Giants on Saturday. Backup Tyrod Taylor will also sit. Last season’s UFL MVP, Adrian Martinez, will get the start, and fellow rookie Andrew Peasley will play in the second half.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
The Jets' decision to rest their starters is part of a growing trend in the NFL. In recent years, more and more teams have opted to sit their key players during the preseason in order to reduce the risk of injury.
While there is some debate about the effectiveness of this approach, there is no doubt that it is becoming increasingly popular. In 2022, 17 of the 32 NFL teams rested their starters for at least one preseason game.
The Jets' decision to sit their starters is likely based on a number of factors, including the team's injury history and the fact that they have a number of new players this season.
The Jets have been one of the most injured teams in the NFL in recent years, and they can't afford to lose any more key players. The team also has a number of new players this season, and they need to get those players up to speed as quickly as possible.
By sitting their starters in the preseason, the Jets can reduce the risk of injury and give their new players more playing time. This will help the team prepare for the regular season and improve their chances of success.
