New York Jets rookie Jerome Kapp was the star of the third episode of Hard Knocks, performing one of Eminem’s songs from the 2002 blockbuster 8 Mile. His rendition received props from Slim Shady himself on Thursday.
Eminem, a.k.a. Marshall Mathers, tweeted out a clip of the rookie’s performance on X with a saluting emoji. Although the Detroit native supports the Lions, he had to show the first-year Jet love for his showmanship.
Kapp, an undrafted free agent pickup, brought the team meeting room to its feet with his performance.
A DII Kutztown standout, Kapp caught his first reception in the league last weekend in the loss versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
He may not make the regular-season roster or even the practice squad, but Kapp gave the Jets one heck of a preseason memory.
New York has to cut the roster down from 90 men to 53 men on Aug. 29. After that big cut, they’ll designate another 16 players for the practice squad.
Jets ready for Aaron Rodgers debut
For several weeks, the New York Jets have been content to keep star quarterback Aaron Rodgers on the sidelines for preseason games. However, next Saturday versus the New York Giants, the Jets are planning to play the four-time league MVP.
Jets reporter Brian Costello shared intel from a source that Rodgers will start for the Jets versus the cross-town rivals for the final preseason game. Regardless of how many snaps he takes, Jets fans will be excited to see their new star suited up for the first time.
In the last game Rodgers played, last season for the Packers, he threw for 205 yards with one touchdown and one interception in a close loss to the Lions. Last season, he had a 64.6% completion rate while throwing for 3,695 yards and 26 touchdowns with 12 interceptions.
The Jets have started backup quarterback Zach Wilson for the first three weeks of the preseason. In a narrow loss versus the Buccaneers, Wilson went 9 of 13 for 70 yards in two quarters. He also had a long run of 35 yards before his backup Tim Boyle took over.
In the second game of the preseason, a shutout versus the Panthers, Wilson went 14-for-20 for 123 yards with a two-yard touchdown pass. He also led the team on three scoring drives out of six in the first half.
Wilson played sparingly in the Hall of Fame game versus the Browns. He went 3-for-5 for 65 yards in the 21-16 loss.
The Giants and Jets kick off at 6 p.m. ET on Saturday, Aug. 26. It will be the first time Rodgers suits up for a team not named the Green Bay Packers since 2004.
More must-reads: