Not even one month into his new surroundings, Aaron Rodgers is already loving what he has seen from one of his future wide receivers on the New York Jets in Garrett Wilson. And it’s to the point the four-time MVP sees a lot of a certain former wide receiver teammate of his from his Green Bay Packer days.
Aaron Rodgers Compares Garrett Wilson to Davante Adams
Speaking on the Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday for the first time as an official member of the Jets, Rodgers has clearly already fallen in love with throwing to the 2022 rookie wide receiver out of Ohio State. But he’s given Wilson the stirring comparison to Davante Adams.
“Obviously, Garrett, he’s a talented guy. I threw him a pass today and just kind of turned and was like, ‘Wow.’ His ability to kind of get in and out of his breaks,” Rodgers said on the show.
“There’s another No. 17 I played with for a long time who does it better than anybody, but the explosiveness in and out of the breaks to No. 17 here is pretty similar.”
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That’s serious points scored on Wilson’s end as he builds his cohesion with Rodgers. Adams has been lauded as the best receiver in the league, with six Pro Bowls, three All-Pro nods, and four 100-catch campaigns in the last five seasons to back that claim. Adams has literally written the new owner’s manual for wideouts on how to consistently dominate defensive backs.
Wilson, however, is already giving the new No. 8 on the Jets flashbacks of his time with Adams. The new Jets teammates are already hitting the ground running and developing what’s already becoming a highly-anticipated QB/WR tandem for 2023.
Could Wilson Be Even More Dangerous With Rodgers?
Here’s a scary thought for the cornerbacks and defensive coordinators who will have to game plan for this tandem starting in September: Wilson surpassed 1,100 yards last season playing with three starting quarterbacks.
As the Jets became unsettled behind center and saw Zach Wilson, Joe Flacco, and Mike White all get their chances to start, Wilson still put together 83 catches for 1,103 yards and four touchdowns to lead NFL rookie wideouts.
The Jets’ inability to settle on one permanent starter did little to slow down Wilson’s pursuit of the century mark. Wilson even racked up 539 more receiving yards than the next receivers on the team.
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But now, a more decorated passer with a history of winning both league awards and a Super Bowl is coming to feed Wilson the ball. That gives off the early warning to the AFC East and future opponents of the Jets that Wilson could be due for an elevation in all three major receiving categories.
Since becoming a full-time starting quarterback in 2008, Rodgers has helped produce a 1,000-yard wideout in 10 of his 15 seasons with the Packers. (2012, 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2022 were the only seasons Green Bay didn’t have a 1,000-yard receiver.) Rodgers turned Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, and Adams into threats to hit the century mark during their time together.
Rodgers has proven an ability to turn multiple wideouts into downfield threats and Pro Bowlers throughout his career. Now he’s already believing he has the next Adams in the new No. 17 he gets to throw the ball to.