New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers, second from left, talks with C.J. Mosley (57), center, during warm-ups at the NFL football team’s training facility in Florham Park, N.J., Thursday, July 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
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For the first time in months, there will be a football game on national television. When the New York Jets and Cleveland Browns take the field at the Tom Benson Hall-of-Fame stadium, they’ll do so to signal the start of the 2023 preseason, and the beginning of competitive action.
New York has certainly had a busy offseason. The addition of Aaron Rodgers has reinvigorated the fanbase while improvements at key positions have the Jets thinking of more than simply ending a decade-long playoff drought.
That journey starts Thursday night against a Browns team that underachieved last year due to the controversy surrounding DeShaun Watson’s suspension. Now, with a full offseason together, Cleveland believes themselves to be a true contender in the AFC North race.
Of course, neither the team’s Week 1 starters are expected to play Thursday night. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty of important things to watch for throughout the game.
We have five of the biggest keys here:
How does Mekhi Becton look in his return to game action?
Becton is returning to game action for the first time in a little over two years. How he looks in the 20-25 plays he’s expected to get will determine what the Jets see in him for the future. If he can play effectively the whole game, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him begin taking reps with the first team at left or even right tackle.
The former first-round pick is getting stronger by the practice, but a lot will be told on Thursday night if he can ever get back to his rookie-year form.
Who wins the QB3 battle?
Rodgers is the franchise quarterback. Zach Wilson will be his backup. But thanks to the San Francisco 49ers, the Jets now need to have a third quarterback on the roster…
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