Jets vote QB Aaron Rodgers, LB C.J. Mosley, ST Justin Hardee as team captains
In no real surprise, the Jets named quarterback Aaron Rodgers, linebacker C.J. Mosley and special teamer Justin Hardee as captains after their teammates voted for them on Monday.
Mosley and Hardee get the nod for the third straight season while Rodgers, who was a captain in 12 of his 18 seasons with the Green Bay Packers before coming to New York, will don the uppercase “C” on his chest in his first season playing for Gang Green.
It’s the second year in a row that the Jets have named just three captains with one on offense, one on defense and one on special teams. Last season, in addition to Mosley and Hardee, Zach Wilson was voted as a captain in just his second year as a pro.
Things should be a little different with the 39-year-old Rodgers at the head of the ship.
“Aaron has been fantastic, he really has,” head coach Robert Saleh said. “He's been unbelievable with his voice, his messaging, his nurturing of the young guys around him.”
What won’t change for the Jets is the leading voice coming from the defensive side as Mosley has been a stalwart in that capacity, being named captain for the fourth time in five seasons in New York. The one time he wasn’t named one was in 2020 when he opted out due to the pandemic.
“It means a lot, especially coming from my teammates," Mosley said. “I don't take the 'C' on my chest lightly. Every year that I come here, I make sure I work to earn that stripe. I make sure I put in the right work ethic and lead by example the right way. Make sure I am doing the right thing by everyone.”
Similarly, ever since Hardee joined the Jets in 2021 he’s been at the forefront of leaders on special teams. Last season, he was named to his first Pro-Bowl selection after 15 special team tackles.
“(Hardee) is a leader," special teams coordinator Brant Boyer said. “He's a professional, and if you would ask any coach in our division, any coach that we've played, they all say the same thing about the guy. He's one hell of a player and he's tough to stop and he always keeps going.”
A fourth captain will be named before every game each week, voted on by the coaches, according to Saleh.
