The New York Jets Are Reportedly "Bracing" To Be The Next HBO 'Hard Knocks' Team

Matt Fitzgerald6/26/2023 7:30 PM

FLORIO coming in hot with a potential scoop on the New York Jets gearing up for Hard Knocks. As mentioned in the report, the Saints, Bears, and Commanders are the only other teams who fit the criteria: a non-first-year coach/non-playoff team from the prior two years combo. Washington, per Florio, would do it, but the NFL is still finalizing the team's sale, which is cause for hesitation. New Orleans and Chicago ain't interested. Nor is Gang Green.

Oh well. Tough shit for the Jets, because this is the no-brainer of no-brainers. Aaron Rodgers might be tripping balls at some point and reciting psychedelic soliloquies by his locker to himself while curious teammates (and HBO cameras) eavesdrop. Sauce Gardner will be flying all over the place in camp making plays and challenging Garrett Wilson to take that next step as an elite wide receiver.

With Rodgers throwing the second-year wideout the ball rather than scattershot-except-when-it-comes-to-moms Zach Wilson, I'd expect the superior Wilson, that being Garrett, to make the classic sophomore leap. I hate that Zach and Garrett have the same last name. Makes talking about both of them needlessly confusing.

What else, though? Nathaniel Hackett has a huge personality and a close friendship with Rodgers. He was literally hired as New York's offensive coordinator only because of his affiliation with the legendary quarterback. Can't wait to see Hackett mug it up on TV. If I were him, I'd be high-stepping every fucking stride on the practice field. Although he's *technically* taken a step back from beyond-in-over-his-head head coach to OC, this has to be one of the biggest cases of failing upward you'll ever see in the coaching ranks.

FOOTBALL NEWS, AMIRITE!? It's like I've been wandering a desert, in a state of dehydrated delirium, longing for shit like this to write about.

Giphy Images.

WHY HASN'T JOE BURROW SIGNED HIS NEW CONTRACT YET!?!? WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON IN CINCINNATI!?!?!?!?

Sorry don't know what got into me there. WHO DEY.

It's gonna suck if a) news breaks in the next couple days that the Jets are CONFIRMED for Hard Knocks. Then this blog will be pretty obsolete to be honest because we'll need a new one. AND b) I forgot the second thing. Like I literally forgot the second thing. Fuck.

In case you forgot, however, Rex Ryan's Jets were an absolute hit on the long-running TV series back in the day. Pretty much the perfect coach for the whole situation.

Robert Saleh has made it known he doesn't want any part of Hard Knocks. Can't blame him at least with regard to how much he has to live up to given how great Sexy Rexy was.

Curious to see how much Saleh lets his guard down. Seems like a cool dude who's been saddled with rebuilding a shitty franchise with awful quarterback play across his first two seasons. Rodgers' arrival could mean the Jets not only vault near the top of the AFC, but also contend for the Super Bowl. And thanks to Hard Knocks, apparently, we'll get an inside look at the earnest start of that journey.

J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS. Fireman Ed better make a cameo at some point. In fact, they could probably bring quite a few stars out to practice. That'd be about as exciting as anything else going on at camp.

Please let this be true. Jets on Hard Knocks. PLEASE, football gods (er, the league office). I beg you. This is my prayer.