Aaron Rodgers makes his NY Jets debut: 3 things to watch for Saturday vs. NY Giants

At long last, Jets fans will finally see Aaron Rodgers in action Saturday when their team plays the Giants in the preseason finale at MetLife Stadium.

After not playing Rodgers in the team's first three games, Jets coach Robert Saleh announced on "Hard Knocks" Tuesday night that "everybody" is playing against the G-Men, including the four-time NFL MVP.

This will be Rodgers' first preseason action since 2018, when he was a member of the Green Bay Packers.

Here are three things to watch for from the Jets' new QB in his debut this weekend:

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1. How long will Aaron Rodgers play vs. Giants?

While it's unknown exactly how long he'll be in for, Saleh's comments on "Hard Knocks" made it seem like we might see Rodgers for an extended period Saturday night.

This could all depend on how the offense is performing as well. If the Giants decide to rest most of their starters on defense, you'd expect Rodgers and company to have success similar to how the Pittsburgh Steelers' starters did Thursday night against the Atlanta Falcons' backups in a dominant 24-0 victory.

Or if the Giants go with their starters and the Jets banged-up offensive line struggles against the likes of Dexter Lawrence, Kayvon Thibodeaux and others, it could be a quick pull from Saleh as he doesn't want to head into the Sept. 11 opener versus the Buffalo Bills with more injuries to the offense.

I believe the Giants will have their starters in to match the Jets for the time being, but Rodgers still has some success as he plays the entire first quarter in the Meadowlands.

2. Aaron Rodgers connecting with Garrett Wilson

The thing I'm looking forward to the most is Rodgers' connection with second-year WR Garrett Wilson.

Wilson, who won Offensive Rookie of the Year last season, has been one of the focal points of "Hard Knocks" as he's had a tremendous training camp.

Highlights like the one above have been a constant this offseason for the 23-year-old Ohio State product.

I expect we see Rodgers and Wilson connect at least a handful of times, especially on the opening drive come Saturday evening.

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3. Will Jets offensive line protect Aaron Rodgers?

The biggest concern coming into this matchup has to be the Jets' protection in front of Rodgers. It's been one of the focal points in Saleh's criticisms on "Hard Knocks" as they have yet to field a fully healthy o-line so far.

Mekhi Becton has proved he can be one of the best young tackles in the NFL when healthy. It's just been the issue of staying on the field consistently from the Jets' 2020 first-round pick.

Guard Alijah Vera Tucker has dealt with an ankle injury this offseason and center Joe Tippmann, the Jets' second-round pick in this year's draft, suffered a knee injury against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last weekend but was spotted taking part in positional drills Thursday.

The Jets also got some more good news recently as left tackle Duane Brown was activated from the PUP list earlier this week. Saleh mentioned both AVT and guard Laken Tomlinson will be available for the preseason finale.

While Rodgers is unlikely to have a fully healthy offensive line in front of him against the Giants, the hope is that the team will have all five starters ready for Week 1 against the Bills.

The main concern is the limited amount of reps the unit will have together leading up to Week 1 as they try to keep their soon-to-be 40-year-old QB upright this season.

Only time will tell.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Aaron Rodgers' NY Jets debut: What to watch for Saturday vs. NY Giants