Emboldened by Aaron Rodgers, confident Jets ready to silence doubters
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Rich Cimini, ESPN Staff Writer
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — A look at what’s happening around the New York Jets:
1. Super talk: From the moment he arrived in 2019, linebacker C.J. Mosley has been on a mission to change the way the Jets are perceived around the league — i.e. a lack of respect from opponents. Remember the blowout loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2021, when Mosley ranted about how the Eagles were laughing at them?
That narrative has flipped, according to Mosley, who now believes the Jets have a target on their backs.
“That’s exactly what we want,” he said. “We want people to give us everything they have. We want to go to other people’s stadium and hear every single thing they have to say so we can shut them up after the game is over. That’s what it’s going to take to win a Super Bowl. That’s what it’s going to take to grow as a team.”
If Mosley’s perception is accurate, it’s because of quarterback Aaron Rodgers, whose presence has raised outside expectations and the confidence level within the locker room.
Taking a cue from Rodgers, who talked in his introductory news conference about adding another Lombardi Trophy to the “lonely” Lombardi from Super Bowl III in the team showcase, players haven’t been bashful about expressing their opinions about the team’s potential. They haven’t had this kind of bravado since the Rex Ryan days. Even low-key guard Laken Tomlinson joined the hype parade, saying, “If we’re blessed with some health this year, we’re going to be a scary team.”
Can one player in a 90-man locker room really make that much of a difference? That question was posed to a couple of players, and they both replied with a smile and quick “yes.”
Mosley has no problem with the newfound confidence. After all, if the Jets don’t believe in themselves, how can they expect others to take them seriously?
