As Jets kick off preseason Thursday night, will Aaron Rodgers play?

The Jets signing Aaron Rodgers probably was the top NFL story of the off season. And now that exhibition season starts tonight in Canton, Ohio, will fans see the former Packer in action?

In a word, no. Check back in late August. Maybe then Rodgers will shake off some rust and get his new offense on in an exhibition game.

The Jets play the Browns tonight as part of the Pro Football Hall of Fame festivities in Canton. The NFL selected the two teams because each has at least one former great entering the Hall this weekend. For the Jets, it’s Joe Klecko and Darrelle Revis. Joe Thomas is repping the Browns.

As for the game itself, Zach Wilson will start at quarterback, with 39-year-old Aaron Rodgers watching from the sideline. Wilson used to the Jets future and he may still be in a post-Rodgers world. Coincidentally, Rodgers was talking up Wilson, the No. 2 pick of the 2021 NFL Draft, earlier this week. Wilson struggled last season. So the aging quarterback says he wants to be the kid’s mentor.

“I hope this time for him is like a deep inhale and exhale and he can really take a breath and pause and deal with the disappointment of last year and the frustration, and then channel it,” Aaron Rodgers told reporters. “I feel like he has, just re-channel it as a positive and focus on the opportunity in front of him to learn with a guy who loves him and cares about him and wants him to be great and wants him to do incredible things every day and be better.”

And wait, there’s more from Rodgers about Wilson.

“He has played really, really well in camp,” Aaron Rodgers said. “He’s made a number of great throws. He looks confident. His fundamentals are improving. He’s throwing the ball on time. He’s got all the intangibles. . . . I think he’ll look back years from now and be really thankful for this time to grow, to reset, to take a breath, and it’s gonna set him up for a nice long career in the league.”

As Rodgers watches, Wilson will have a chance to play in actual game conditions.

“I wouldn’t mind playing in the preseason,” Rodgers said. “I wouldn’t mind if [coach Robert Saleh] said ‘Hey, we are going to go. Let’s do it.’ Most coaches have that fear where they want to get you to the Week 1 and not risk it, but I believe there is a chance for the last one.”

Rodgers hasn’t played in a preseason game since he faced the Steelers in August, 2018. And even then, his time on the field was fleeting. He played a series, completing two of his four passes for 35 yards and a touchdown.