Another rookie moment for Jets QB Zach Wilson came on Wednesday, when he went through his first joint NFL practice. And his counterpart at quarterback was one of the best to ever play the position: Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers.
Wilson, though, has been in touch with the Super Bowl champ before. So it wasn’t too much of a shock to see the man who Wilson tries to emulate on the field.
“When I was going through the whole agent process, I was talking to the same agent that he was with,” Wilson told reporters following practice. “Aaron had reached out and we just had a short conversation before one of his games one time just about kinda life in general and football.”
Wilson, donning his signature headband, was seen chopping it up with Rodgers during the practice. And when asked if Wilson taught his elder anything about style, Rodgers had to chuckle.
“Not much,” he replied. “Did you see what he was wearing out there? Zach’s a good kid. I got to talk to him various times throughout the offseason.”
Rodgers added that he made it a point to go speak to Wilson and the rest of the Jets quarterbacks – Rodgers knows newly-acquired backup Josh Johnson for some time – because that’s one of his favorite parts (he doesn’t have many) about joint practices.
But while he was making things look extremely easy and fluid on the field, Wilson was taking notice. So what was his biggest takeaway from seeing one of the greats do his work up close.
“The biggest thing I picked up is two-minute drill,” Wilson explained. “Just how calm and collected he is. He’s kinda just out there almost like he’s just messing around like playing backyard football. Just having a good time and he makes it work.”
As Wilson goes through more games, he’ll be talking with and meeting some of the best at the position. And as a rookie, soaking up as much information as possible is one of the best things to do. The NFL isn’t like any other league Wilson has dominated in the past.
But, being able to have Rodgers as a mentor – even if it’s just with a couple of conversations and seeing him live – is only a positive for the young BYU product.
And he knows it.
“He’s got a lot of knowledge, he’s a smart dude, he knows what’s going on out there,” Wilson said. “So it’s cool to ask him about footwork, what’s going on on the field, what he’s seeing. If I could spend more time with him and keep asking him some questions, I would.”