A look at what’s happening around the New York Jets:

1. Uplifting presence : Early in last week’s game, Aaron Rodgers approached defensive end Bryce Huff on the sideline and offered some pass rush advice: He told Huff that New York Giants quarterback Tyrod Taylor, when under pressure, has a tendency to run up the middle when you escape the pocket.

Heeding the advice, Huff went full-throttle on his next play instead of outside, a change that allowed him to play the inside lane. Sure enough, he dismissed Taylor as he climbed up the middle. Huff gave a shout-out to Rodgers.

“He is on the sidelines, supporting us and committed,” he said. “It’s really cool because he’s always there, just providing life and being a great leader.”

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ presence in meetings and on the sideline has meant a lot to his Jets teammates. Vincent Carchietta/USA TODAY Sports

With his words and presence, Rodgers inspires his teammates. He rehabilitates his surgically repaired left Achilles tendon in California, flies for games and attacks. It’s an unusual dynamic, rallying around an injured teammate. In the NFL world, injured players are often isolated from the rest of the team, “virtually anonymous.” Out of sight, out of mind. Not Rodgers, who wore headphones on the sidelines the last two games.

“Any time he’s in the building, it’s great,” defensive tackle Quinton Jefferson said. “His energy, his aura, is great. We’re sorry. Even when I was on the bench on Sunday, you feel the juice and you love it.

“We see it in spurts. Then we saw him last Saturday [in the locker room] and he walks like nothing happened. It’s just a testament to the work he’s done. That’s inspiring even in itself. “His desire to be here with us is a true competitor and a true leader.”

Tackle Mekhi Becton said: “You can see the smile on everyone’s face when you see him walk into the building, so it’s like an uplifting spirit every time he comes in here.”

Several players said it’s motivating to see Rodgers throwing a football and doing abbreviated drop attacks in pregame warmups. He tells them that maybe, just maybe, he can return if they stay in the playoff race. Rodgers, injured in Week 1, has said his goal is to play again this season.

“It could be an alien,” Becton said. “It’s a little crazy at his age and the injury he had, to recover so quickly. He’s a different type of person, for sure.”

Huff said: “Even though all the doctors and analysts say it’s not possible, he just continues to prove that he is exceeding the standards that everyone set for him. So he is definitely an icon of motivation.”

General manager Joe Douglas said the team does not have a timetable for Rodgers. Make no mistake, this will be a big story next month.

2. Historical profiles : The Jets’ third-down offense is the worst in the league (23% talk rate). You may have already known this. But did you know that it is the worst in the last 45 years?

The Elias Sports Bureau can track third-down rates dating back to 1978, and the Jets are at the absolute bottom, slightly below the 2005 San Francisco 49ers (24%).

When asked to explain their historical struggles, the Jets generally lean toward the cliché answer: improving on first and second downs to avoid too many third-and-long situations. While there is a lot of truth in that, it’s not exactly the whole story. Frankly, they are not good in third down situations.

On third and short (3 yards or less), they are an abysmal 3-for-16 (19%), which ranks 32nd. In fact, the next closest team isn’t even in the same area code: the Cleʋeland Browns with 46%.

On third and a half (4 to 6 yards), the Jets are 9 of 25 (36%), a ranking of 25th.

On third and long (7 or more yards), they are 8 of 46 (17%), 28th.

Get the image? The profile extends along the ground: short, medium and long.

3. Something has to change : No matter how well the defense plays, winning ways are not sustainable unless the offense plays better situational football, which means more efficiency on third down and in the red zone (32nd). Every week, the Jets’ refrain is the same: “We’re close” to a breakthrough. Offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett is tired of hearing it.

“Being close is never good,” he said.

Receiver Garrett Wilson said “we’re going to try some new things” Monday night against the Los Angeles Chargers at MetLife Stadium (8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC). Wilson is in favor of that and points out that what they are doing is not working. He also said it can help the case open more consistently on third downs.

4. Did you know? Zach Wilson leads all quarter offenses with three fourth-quarter comeback wins.

5. Staying put : Despite the needs on the offensive line and wide receiver, Douglas did not make a trade at the deadline. Maybe you’ve learned a lesson from last year.

Twenty-four hours after Breece Hall’s left ACL injury last October 23, Douglas traded for a replacement running back, acquiring Jaмes RoƄinson from the Jacksonʋille Jaguars. Douglas was applauded for his aggressiveness. As it turned out, RoƄinson was ineffective. He arrived with a knee injury and had no effect. In hindsight, the Jets should rely on rookie Zonoʋan Knight, who ended up outperforming RoƄinson. The trade cost them a 2023 sixth-round pick.

This time around, Douglas is relying on the roster he put together before the season, which means leaning on players like wide receiver Xaʋier Gipson and center Joe Tippмann, both rookies, to play key roles during the second half of the season.

6. Blockuster 2.0? The Jets made the biggest trade of the 2023 offseason (Rodgers). Could they do it again in 2024 with Rodgers’ best friend, wide receiver Daʋante Adams?

The Jets inquired about Adams before the trade deadline, a person familiar with the situation confirmed, fueling speculation about another opportunity to target him in the offseason. After this week’s restructuring, the Las Vegas Raiders believe they will have a new regime in place. Perhaps they are willing to listen to offers, which was not the case this time. Perhaps Adams, frustrated in Las Vegas, will force the issue.

Adams, 30, is under contract through 2026, but only his 2024 salary ($16.9 million) is guaranteed. A trade would make Rodgers happy, and the Jets are totally fine with that.

The Jets’ Bryce Huff has at least one sack in each of the last three games. Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

7. Sack streak : The Jets have had “informal” conversations with Huff about a contract extension, Douglas said. At just 25 years old and playing a premium position, Huff is their number one priority among his future free agents.

He’s on a roll, having recorded a sack in three straight games. It allocated part of its increased production to a different approach. Instead of simply focusing on the offensive tackle, as he has in the past, Huff is more aware of the quarterback and his tendencies.

8. Merry-go-round : With injuries piling up, the Jets will start their fifth different offensive line combination against the Chargers. They have already used eight different starters; a ninth (Billy Turner) could crack the lineup Monday night. A year ago, 11 different players started on the line. Douglas admitted that the lack of continuity is a source of frustration.

Do you remember the good old days? In 2009, the Jets started the same field every game: D’Brickashaw Ferguson, Alan Faneca, Nick Mangold, Brandon Moore and Damien Woody. That was something strange.

9. Good news, bad news : The Jets have been penalized just 320 yards, the third fewest in the league. They would be much better off if they could eliminate personal fouls. They have committed six unnecessary roughness penalties, the most in the league. Linebacker Quincy Williams has been fined four times for a team-high $51,472.

10. The last word : “My God, he is the best bettor I have ever seen in my life.” — defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, who broke into the NFL as a player in 2000, in Thomas Morstead