SANTA CLARA, Calif. — A lot of the consideration getting into Monday’s Jets opener towards the 49ers has naturally been on Aaron Rodgers and his return after lacking all however 4 snaps final season.
However he isn’t the one Jets starter returning after a missed season.
Chuck Clark will begin at security after lacking the complete 2023 season attributable to a torn ACL.
“I’m extraordinarily excited,” Clark mentioned final week. “On the finish of the day, it’s soccer for me, the sport I’ve all the time performed. I’ll be even-keeled. I’ll be excited for certain, hell yeah, however I can’t let it get essentially the most of me and get out of whack and get out of place or something. I’ll be locked in for certain.”
Clark got here to the Jets in March 2023 in a commerce from the Ravens.
The Jets have been enthusiastic about what Clark might add to their protection, however he tore his ACL within the last OTA of the spring and missed the complete 12 months.
For the primary time in Clark’s life, he was a spectator.
Clark stayed in New Jersey and took part in conferences however was not a part of the video games.
“That was completely different,” Clark mentioned. “It was the primary time feeling that for me. It was a brand new constructing for me on the time. I attempted to overcome that after which I needed to assault the harm. It was completely different, to say the least.”
Over the last week, Clark has been experiencing the lead-up to a recreation for the primary time in over a 12 months.
He mentioned he is aware of he’ll have a second pregame when he displays on his journey again.
“I feel simply this entire week getting again into the operation of the sport — OK, that is quick Friday, that is journey day, every little thing that I’ve missed,” Clark mentioned. “It’s going to be an ideal feeling to get all that once more. In the event that they do a flyover earlier than the sport, this and that. I can’t await all of it.”
Jets offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett spoke final week about how concerned Aaron Rodgers is within the game-planning course of.
“It’s very elaborate, we all the time come along with a plan as coaches, after which current it to him like we do each week, or any quarterback, after which simply type of make clear every little thing with him,” Hackett mentioned. “He watches a ton of tape, he has a ton of concepts similar to us, so we simply need to be sure he’s comfy with all of the issues that we’re going to execute on the market, in order we develop the plan we proceed to get it to him, and have loads of talks, be sure now we have every little thing that we wish, and go from there, so it’s fairly seamless. It’s simply one other pair of eyes due to his expertise.”
