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Notebook | Jets O-Lineman Morgan Moses Playing With Another 'Magical' QB

Says That Aaron Rodgers Is ‘a Coach on the Field’ Who Makes People Better

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Morgan Moses spent the last two years in Baltimore helping to protect the guy he calls the "Magic Man," quarterback Lamar Jackson, last year's NFL MVP.

Now Moses is back with the Jets, prepared to protect another guy who's been known to sprinkle his own brand of magic on the football field -- Aaron Rodgers.

"Now, just to go to Aaron Rodgers, who's just been playing football for a very long time," Moses told Eric Allen during his 30-minute-plus chat on "The Official Jets Podcast." "He's a coach on the field, like he's a coach in what he demands, the excellence that he demands every day out of guys, and just like the position he puts players in to succeed, right? That's the key, right? It's like, 'I can be a great football player, I can be a great leader, but the difference is, can I make the people better?' And that's what he does."

Moses, 33, was acquired in a trade with the Ravens for fourth- and sixth-round draft picks. He is one of the key cogs in the Jets' revamped offensive line engineered in the offseason by general manager Joe Douglas. Moses will lock down the right tackle spot, next to guard Alijah Vera-Tucker. The two road graders are each coming back from injury, AVT (Achilles tendon tear) and Moses (torn pectoral muscle). On the other side of the line, the Jets added in free agency eight-time Pro Bowl tackle Tyron Smith (Dallas) and guard John Simpson (Baltimore). The team also used its top draft pick to select Olu Fashanu (No. 11) out of Penn State.

With second-year player Joe Tippmann at center, the task will be to protect Rodgers, give him time to dissect opposing defenses while also opening holes for RB Breece Hall & Co.

"It's another opportunity that I can learn more," Moses said. "And I think the biggest thing is having a quarterback like Aaron Rodgers, who sees the field so well, and can change whether it's cover zero, cover two, cover three, and we're in the right place ... a pass protection for him to be able to do that it's just like the mental aspect of, OK, I really got to hone those things. I got to learn his voice. I got to learn and start seeing things that he sees. And I think when you do that, it raises your IQ of football as well.

"I'm telling you, it's a reason why he's been in the league for so long and why he's been named with some of the greatest quarterbacks in the league. The makeup that he does every day, just to see him go out there and sling the ball around like he's 10 years old, having fun and still doing that. And as an older guy that's still trying to get to where he's at. You see a guy go out there that's not complaining, moaning about things, he's just going out there having fun and letting it rip. For a guy that, or the younger guys are trying to get to that level, to see a guy like that go out there and do it every day, it's refreshing, because then you get in your mind, like, hey, I can do that. You know, if he's still doing that for 37 years old [actually 40!], I definitely can do that at 20-something, right? That's how the young guys see it."

As excited as Moses is to be back with the Green & White, he said that his sons might be even more excited. He said they were thrilled to meet Jackson in Baltimore and now feel the same level of enthusiasm about seeing Rodgers and CB Sauce Gardner up close and personal.

"Like my son is already like, 'Dad, you're gonna win the Super Bowl this year. I know it. I know it,' " Moses said.

See photos of the Jets' roster leading up to the 2024 season.

Jets' Best Offseason Moves? O-Line.
One of the worst-kept secrets around the NFL and at 1 Jets Drive was that the Green & White's offensive line would be in for a makeover ahead of the 2024 season. After all, trotting out 13 different starters in 17 games is no prescription for success.

The overhaul was especially critical with the return of quarterback Aaron Rodgers after he missed all but four plays last season with a torn Achilles tendon.

So it should come as no surprise that in his story about the best offseason move by each AFC team, Garrett Podell of CBS Sports wasted few words in getting to his point: "Heavily investing in their offensive line through various trades, draft picks and free agency signings.

"Future Hall-of-Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers turns 41 in December, is coming off an Achilles injury and is accustomed to strong offensive line play," Podell wrote. "The Packers ranked inside the top seven in the entire NFL in pass-blocking rank in Rodgers' final nine seasons in Green Bay. The Jets were bottom-five in the league in every pass-blocking metric last season. Their success rides on how Rodgers performs, so they did what they needed to do to keep him healthy in 2024.

"Now, Gang Green has a much higher quality group thanks to their wheeling and dealing."

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