The feelings seem to be very positive for the New York Jets.
First-year wide receiver Malachi Corley plans to spend time in Aaron Rodgers’ guesthouse during the offseason to build chemistry and there is a strong belief that this team can win a Super Bowl.
However, a former teammate of Rodgers expressed frustration on social media after seeing all this excitement.
Amari Rodgers, a former teammate of A-Rod with the Green Bay Packers, had a strong response to what is happening at 1 Jets Drive.
“I'm sure this will help him play better as a rookie. If only I had this kind of support when I joined GB, but everyone has their own experience!”
Rodgers would later delete this tweet, but before he did Zach Jacobson took a screenshot and posted it on Twitter.
The Evolution of Rodgers in the Latter Stages of His Career
Rodgers was traded to the Jets with a reputation for not working well with younger players on the team.
There was a detailed article in The Athletic back in 2022 that described Rodgers’ very complex hand signals and the struggles young players had learning them.
Amari seemed to be one of those young players who didn’t have the same experience that rookie Malachi Corley had.
Amari, like Corley, is a former third-round draft pick. However, his career in Green Bay only lasted a season and a half.
In 26 career games with the Packers, Amari only caught eight receptions for 95 yards and never scored a touchdown. Additionally, Rodgers struggled with fumbles, losing the ball five times in 10 games, according to Christopher Kuhagen of USA Today.
Things didn’t work out for Rodgers, and only Amari can speak about his experience with Aaron. However, based on what we’ve seen here in New York, A-Rod is a different man.
He has got along great with seemingly all of his younger teammates. Rodgers has been a driving force for the apparent culture change on 1 Jets Drive.
Hype Train Is Real for Corley
Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report predicted that Corley will be one of the “most surprising rookie gems” from the 2024 NFL draft class.
“The other archetype that Aaron Rodgers needs to be successful is a slot receiver who can be targeted on crossers and flat routes when neither deep option is open. That was the role Randall Cobb played for the quarterback in their primes with the Packers. Corley has the skill set to play that role, and there isn’t much competition for it in New York,” Ballentine explained. “It’s completely within the range of outcomes for the 22-year-old to become a second or high-end third option in New York with better numbers than several receivers drafted before him.”
Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic dropped a full feature on Corley on Wednesday, May 8.
In that piece, he beautifully described Corley’s upbringing and his desire from an early age to achieve his football dreams. He isn’t a perfect wide receiver built on a lab table, but he has an impressive physique and a rare affinity to seek out contact.
That level of physicality will be a welcomed addition to the Jets offense.
