Hard Knocks: A mentalist left Aaron Rodgers, Jets stunned with wild trick involving a goldfish

The first episode of HBO’s “Hard Knocks” was largely focused on Aaron Rodgers’ arrival to the New York Jets, and Tuesday’s follow-up episode was much of the same.

The best moment, however, of the second installment of the documentary series came in the opening minutes — and it had little to do with football.

Mentalist and magician Oz Pearlman joined the Jets for a meeting in Tuesday’s episode, and he left the entire room stunned. First, he had running back Michael Carter guessing numbers, which sent Carter sprinting away with laughter.

Then he had wide receiver Mecole Hardman randomly pick a puzzle piece that fit perfectly into a pre-built puzzle he had hidden. On the back of that built puzzle, Pearlman then had written Hardman’s randomly predicted Super Bowl score — the Jets beating the San Francisco 49ers 31-21.

The craziest trick came with Rodgers. What started out as a simple card trick left Rodgers sitting there looking completely shook up holding a case with a goldfish inside it.

Just watch:

Rodgers is really lucky that safeties coach Marquand Manuel picked only a goldfish. Otherwise, who knows how that trick would have gone down.

Rodgers and the Jets made big moves with their rushing attack this week. The team signed free agent running back Dalvin Cook, who was released by the Minnesota Vikings earlier this summer. Cook joined on a reported one-year, $8.6 million deal. Running back Breece Hall was then activated off the physically unable to perform list Tuesday, about 10 months after he tore his ACL. Having that duo available in the backfield with Rodgers should make a huge difference for the Jets, who haven’t been to the playoffs since 2010.

If the new offense can mesh well, and Pearlman was right, Rodgers and the Jets will be meeting the 49ers at the Super Bowl in Vegas come February.

That is, as long as the magic doesn’t wear off.