Football training can be a chore for many players at many levels of the game. But long-tenured veterans, ageless warriors and future Hall of Famers don’t need convincing of the goodness of even a good review.

Like Aaron Rodgers, of course. He said he felt “like a rabbit, man, I’ve got so much energy.” One of the reasons for this was the training held at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center on Wednesday.

“It feels really good. It’s been a long process,” Rodgers said of the health issues (knee, ankle, hamstring) that have plagued him since Game 4 against Denver. Rodgers was listed as “full” for the first practice of a week on Wednesday for the first time in six weeks. “I’ve worked a lot with Dave (Zuffelato, head athletic trainer), he’s a great guy to work with. He helps me out and I do a lot of things on my own.

“But it felt good to be able to train on Wednesday. I love training. We were struggling a little bit in a lot of positions, there were a lot of things to review, but it was good to be there.” “

Another reason for A-Rod’s enthusiasm in training is that all teams practice three days a week before each game. At the risk of oversimplifying, it prepares you for the next game in general and the next opponent’s challenges in particular.

“This league is far from linear,” the 20th-year QB said. “The only thing that’s linear is that it doesn’t wait for you. If you want to be a great team, you have to train like a great team. And I think we’ve trained a lot in the last few weeks. It’s better. But there’s still a standard that we have to go the extra step and when we do that, which we do “I’m sure we will succeed, then consistency will emerge on match day.”

Which brings us to this week’s opponent. At 5-4, the Cardinals hold first place in the NFC West for the first time since 2022. They have won three in a row, including two against visiting teams at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, AZ. They thought they could compete with these Birds, and yet the Cards won both.

Rodgers knows a similar fate awaits the Jets if they’re not ready for this Zona test, and the fire from last Thursday’s 3-6 win over Houston could be extinguished before it even begins.

“Every challenge is different,” he said. “It’s a long journey to a division leader. We don’t need any extra motivation. We know what we’re playing for.”