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The Cleveland Browns are set to clash with the New York Jets to kick off the NFL preseason on Thursday, although high-profile quarterbacks Deshaun Watson and Aaron Rodgers will be watching from the sidelines.
Neither starting quarterback will be taking reps during the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game in Canton, which was expected considering it’s an added game on the preseason slate for both teams.
However, that hasn’t stopped Rodgers from making some headlines, with the 39-year-old future Hall of Famer making a strong statement on his future in New York.
“Now I’ve gotten this opportunity at 39 to kind of reinvent myself, figure out who I wanna be in a new environment,” Rodgers said. “To have some of the conversations I’ve had with Joe Douglas, to be privy to things that I was never privy to, to have a defensive head coach puts a different framework on the team. The defense has a different confidence, I think, that they practice with. We had great defenses in Green Bay during our time. But it always felt like an offensive team, or a West Coast offensive football team. Just a different mentality when you have a defensive head coach. I’ve enjoyed that.”
Rodgers added that being in Canton won’t have him thinking too hard about his own induction one day.
“I want to play a few more years, and it’ll be five after that,” Rodgers said. “Who knows what’s going to happen in eight or nine years? That’s a long way off.”
Cleveland Browns Will See Rodgers, New York Jets in Critical Late-Season Matchup
Rodgers recently reworked his deal with the Jets to be more team-friendly, taking below-market value so the franchise can build a winner around him. Rodgers took a $35 million pay cut in the newly restructured contract.
The Jets will likely be one of the top contenders in the AFC with Rodgers under center, upgrading from the likes of Zach Wilson, Joe Flacco, and Mike White. The AFC was already loaded, but it’s just another team the Browns have to compete with if they hope to reach their ultimate goal of a Super Bowl.
While the preseason matchup is inconsequential, the Browns will see the Jets in the regular season for what could be a crucial contest on December 28 in prime time.
Kellen Mond Set to Start for Cleveland Browns Against Jets in Preseason Matchup
Both Watson and his backup Joshua Dobbs are expected to get the night off against the Jets, which puts third-year QB Kellen Mond in the spotlight as the starter. Mond is expected to play the first half, with rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson taking over after the half.
It will be the most extensive action Mond has seen with the Browns. Cleveland claimed the former third-round pick after final roster cuts last season but he was inactive for the entirety of the season.
“There was just a period of just getting to know him early in the season last year. So, he’s done everything we’ve asked him to do. I’ve been very impressed with him both in the meeting room and on the practice field,” Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said on August 1. “And the fun part for our players, as you know, is to play in these games. So, I think Kellen’s excited about the opportunity.”
Mond and Thompson-Robinson are battling for the third quarterback spot, with the rookie likely having a leg up after being selected this year.
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