New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers has found himself in the news this offseason for pretty much everything unrelated to actual football.
For Rodgers, that’s in large part due to his own antics. But now that the four-time NFL MVP is 100% recovered from the devastating Achilles injury he suffered early last season, Rodgers is finally prepared to focus on actual football.
The future Hall of Famer pushed back against those who questioned why the Jets got six nationally televised games in 2024. He also decided to take a veiled shot at his many critics.
“We are must-watch TV. Whether you love me or hate me, people want to see me play,” Rodgers said Friday on Mad Dog Radio.
There is no push back in that regard. Rodgers is among the best quarterbacks in modern NFL history. His otherworldly stats speak to that.
- Aaron Rodgers career stats: 65% completion, 59,055 yards, 475 TD, 105 INT
Can you say first ballot Hall of Famer?
Aaron Rodgers defends Nathaniel Hackett, says he was always going to play in 2024
Rodgers, 40, played less than a handful of snaps in his first season with the Jets after being acquired from the Green Bay Packers in a blockbuster trade.
His former assistant in Green Bay was also brought on to be the Jets’ offensive coordinator after less than a year tenure as the Denver Broncos head coach.
The end result was disastrous. With Rodgers sidelined, New York won all of seven games and finished 29th in the league in scoring. It led to the Jets attempting to “replace” Hackett earlier in the offseason.
Rodgers also decided to defend Hackett in the aforementioned interview.
“You should trust me and I trust Nathaniel,” Rodgers said. “So, to me, that’s end of story. There’s been a lot of BS that’s been said out there. There’s a lot of things that have gone on the last couple years that he’s dealt with that I think he’s handled very professionally. And at the end of the day, I think you gotta trust his and my working relationship and the conversations that we have. You gotta trust the staff.”
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Hackett spent three seasons with Rodgers in Green Bay as the team’s offensive coordinator. It makes sense that the divisive quarterback would defend him.
As for whether he seriously considered giving up football to get into politics, Rodgers clearly denied that. He was considered one of the top potential running mates for independent presidential candidate Robert Kennedy Jr. While Rodgers did sit down with Kennedy Jr., the quarterback says he never really considered giving up football.
“I think I was just trying to clear that story up. It was never like playing quarterback and also campaigning at the same time. There was only two options. One of the two options was to not play and go down the route of thinking about being the V.P. Now obviously I was on the short list for him.
The other option was the option that since September 12th was the only one in my mind, that I was playing football. So, you know, I had to listen to Bobby because I respect him and I appreciate his friendship. But the entire time, since September 12th, my focus has been playing. In the end, I was always playing.”
Aaron Rodgers on Mad Dog Radio
There you have it, clearing things up on all fronts.
As for Rodgers and the Jets, they should be vastly improved on the field this coming season. His mere presence coupled with one of the best defenses in the NFL make that pretty darn clear.