The 2023 NFL draft is in the rearview mirror but free agency remains a hot topic this offseason.
One Denver Bronco-turned-free agent in offensive tackle Billy Turner is moving on from the team after appearing in eight games in 2022. The 10-year veteran signed a one-year deal with the New York Jets on May 2, per a tweet by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
“The #Jets are signing veteran OL Billy Turner to a 1-yr deal worth up to $3.15 million, per source,” Pelissero tweeted. “It’s the latest reunion with Aaron Rodgers and Nathaniel Hackett, who coached Turner in Green Bay and Denver. Turner has 75 career starts.”
The #Jets are signing veteran OL Billy Turner to a 1-yr deal worth up to $3.15 million, per source.
It’s the latest reunion with Aaron Rodgers and Nathaniel Hackett, who coached Turner in Green Bay and Denver. Turner has 75 career starts.
Billy Turner’s Connection to Nathaniel Hackett, Aaron Rodgers
Hackett now serves as Jets’ offensive coordinator, the same role he had in Green Bay (2019-2021). During those years, Turner was in the Packers’ starting lineup, protecting Rodgers behind center.
Turner also followed Hackett to Denver once Hackett became Broncos’ head coach last year.
Turner’s stint in 2022 was his second with the Broncos. He appeared in 20 games for the team from 2016-2018 under head coaches Gary Kubiak and Vance Joseph.
The 2014 third-round pick brings versatility and experience to New York’s offensive line, which now has a tall task in protecting its new quarterback in Rodgers. Turner has played both guard and tackle spots in the NFL, but he’s primarily appeared at right tackle throughout his career.
Turner’s one-year deal made him one of five former Packers players to join the Rodgers-led Jets this off-season.
How Notable is Billy Turner’s Injury History?
Turner’s injury history is pretty significant, even though he has played in over 90 NFL games.
In 2017, Turner missed most of the season after breaking his hand, forcing him to get surgery.
Turner played a full 16-game schedule the next year before signing in Green Bay. From 2019-2020, he did not miss a snap.
During the 2021 season, Turner was fully healthy until December, when he encountered more injury misfortune. He suffered an MCL-related knee injury, which forced him to miss the remainder of the regular season.
After signing with the Broncos for a second time in 2022, his injury troubles returned and were more prevalent.
According to CBS Sports, Turner spent the first month of the 2022 season inactive while recovering from a knee injury. Following a brief return, Turner was placed on injured reserve in mid-November before Week 11.
Despite Turner’s somewhat troubling injury history, he believes he is not injury prone.
An April 5 story by The Denver Gazette quoted Turner in which he considers his previous ailments – particularly his knee problems – ‘freak injuries.’
“I was banged up the last year or so from an injury I had in Green Bay, which people I think are a little bit nervous about,’’ Turner told the news outlet in early April. “But I’m kind of back to 100% and (it’s) the healthiest I’ve been in the last two years.”
Since Rodgers has vouched for him in the past, Turner leaving Denver to join him in Green Bay should be no surprise.
During Week 7 (October) of the 2021 season, Rodgers appeared on the Pat McAfee Show and vouched for Turner to receive a Pro Bowl nod. Jets X-Factor’s Michael Nania posted an old clip of the interview to Twitter on May 1.
“(I’m) proud of maybe the unsung hero on the offensive line, Billy Turner,” Rodgers said to McAfee in October 2021. “He has played outstanding… he is a master of his craft. Nobody works harder at his craft than Billy does, and I’m really proud of him.”
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Former Broncos OL Reuniting With Nathaniel Hackett: Report