Aaron Rodgers silences critics with dominant training camp practice

Remember when Aaron Rodgers missed two days of padless practices in the middle of June and everyone freaked out? It's safe to say that NY Jets fans are ready to swiftly move on from that debacle, especially after seeing what Rodgers did on Thursday.

The four-time MVP showed up to practice on Thursday and quickly reminded everyone why he's one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the sport. Yes, Rodgers has still got it.

Rodgers kicked off the Jets' first training camp practice open to fans with a 75-yard bomb to Garrett Wilson who burnt past cornerback D.J. Reed and caught the pass in stride for the longest play of the day.

He'd finish practice completing 13-of-16 passes, including a 9-of-12 performance with a touchdown in 11-on-11 drills. Rodgers wasn't just checking it down either — he frequently pushed the ball downfield and nearly had another long completion to Wilson if not for defensive pass interference committed by Reed.

On the final drive of practice, Rodgers converted on a 4th-and-5 to tight end Tyler Conklin before finding old friend Allen Lazard in the end zone to end a fantastic offensive performance on a high note.

The Jets' first-team offense dominated on Thursday, and Rodgers' performance was the biggest reason why.

This is why the NY Jets didn't care about Aaron Rodgers missing minicamp

Everyone from Rodgers' coaches to his teammates made it abundantly clear that the organization had no issues with the future Hall of Fame quarterback missing two days of practice in June.

After all, Rodgers had been in attendance for every voluntary event of the offseason to that point and had communicated with the Jets ahead of time that he would not be able to attend minicamp. The Jets were shocked by how big of a storyline it became outside the building.

It doesn't seem as though Rodgers' absence has affected his performance or readiness in any way. This shouldn't be a surprise, obviously.

Ultimately, it was June in the football world and the media needed something to talk about. Combine that with the fact that this was Rodgers and the Jets and it's easy to see why the situation was blown out of proportion.

But now that the dust has settled and training camp is here, Rodgers and the Jets can fully shift their focus to the 2024 season. More performances like this one will go a long way toward increasing the confidence level around the team as we inch closer to Week 1.