FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers, nursing a calf injury, threw on the side and spent most of Wednesday's practice coaching up teammates.
Running back Breece Hall was off on a side field, rehabbing his surgically repaired knee. Rodgers, who strained his right calf last week, is expected to return by next week.
Hall has a ways to go, but the Jets envision him taking handoffs from Rodgers when they open the season Sept. 11 against the Buffalo Bills. «I'm very optimistic,» coach Robert Saleh said of Hall's potential availability for Week 1. «I don't want to jinx it» — he knocked on his wood podium — «but, I mean, the kid's already hitting 22 [mph] on the GPS.
He looks freaking good.» Hall and Rodgers are arguably the two most important players on the Jets' offense. They might not practice together until late August — Hall will be limited in training camp — but the goal is to make sure the backfield tandem is clicking for the regular season, not the preseason.