Aaron Rodgers embraces expectations: We have a legitimate chance

It's been a long time since the Jets have been this closely watched. They had intense media coverage when Bill Parcells was there from 1997-99 and before that with Joe Namath way back in the day.

All eyes are on the Jets because they have a chance to do something that hasn't been done since Namath did it in Super Bowl III.

Rodgers pointed out when he arrived in New York that the one Lombardi Trophy looks "a little lonely."

The star quarterback said Thursday the Jets have a "legitimate chance" to win the Super Bowl.

"Obviously, there are a lot of expectations," Rodgers said, via Rich Cimini of ESPN. "A lot of people are going to be pulling for us to fall flat -- the crows as [Robert] Saleh referred to them. A lot of people are in our corner, too, which is a good thing."

Saleh's opening speech in "Hard Knocks" focused on the naysayers, using the analogy of an eagle soaring high enough to suffocate a pursuing crow, the only bird that will attack an eagle.

Rodgers said he relishes the spotlight and insists he ignores the "negative energy."

"There will be a lot of eyes on us," Rodgers said. "That could be pressure to some people; that could be expectation; it could be excitement. I choose to look at it as excitement. There's a lot of people that are going to be tuning in, a lot of people are going to be following along throughout our season. A lot of people are going to have a lot to cheer about, I think."

While he called the Jets "really talented," Rodgers would not compare it to the best teams he played on in Green Bay.

Rodgers won his only Super Bowl ring in 2010 on a team that included Hall of Famer Charles Woodson.