Two-time reigning NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers is not having any of it. With his team at 3-4 on the season and in the midst of a three-game losing streak heading into Sunday night’s outing against the Buffalo Bills, he’s letting everyone know he’s not happy about his teammates.
Rodgers took part in his weekly interview on The Pat McAfee Show Tuesday, laying into his teammates in the process.
“It’s definitely not just one play here or there. It’s 20 percent of the time. If we have 50 plays and we have 10 missed assignments or mental errors, that’s 20 percent of the time.
So we’ve got to fix that. I think guys who are making too many mistakes shouldn’t be playing. Gotta start cutting some reps. And maybe guys who aren’t playing, give them a chance.”
Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers heading into Week 8
These comments came after Green Bay fell to the pedestrian Washington Commanders on the road this past Sunday. Prior to that, the Packers lost games against the two New Jersey-based teams. All three were considered likely wins at the start of the season.
Rodgers has now doubled down on this criticism in speaking to the media on Wednesday. In the process, he seemingly called out what some would conclude to be a soft society we live in today.
“People in this society have a hard time hearing truth sometimes,” Rodgers told reporters on Wednesday. “I did do it privately. I’m not saying anything [publicly] that I’m not saying to those guys. So, maybe that’s talking about a conversation that’s behind closed doors in public, but the level of accountability is the standard here. Again, I don’t think it should be a problem to any of those guys to hear criticism.”
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That’s the biggest question here. Some will conclude that Rodgers has gone to the media too often to call out his teammates. He did that during training camp, focusing on the team’s young group of wide receivers. He’s not going to stop doing this, especially if the Packers continue to struggle on the field.
“I’m not going to be a robot up here. I don’t understand why people have a problem with things that are truthful. You know, I’m calling things the way I see it. If people don’t think I need to air that stuff out, that’s their opinion.”
Aaron Rodgers on criticism of his teammates
Green Bay ranks in the bottom 10 of the NFL in scoring and boasts the league’s 22nd-ranked passing offense. That’s obviously not up to Rodgers’ standards given what we’ve seen from him during his time with the Packers.
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However, there’s really no way to resolve these issues outside of just doing the work on the field. Obviously, that could change ahead of the Nov. 1 NFL trade deadline with Rodgers pushing general manager Brian Gutekunst to make a move. That includes Green Bay being linked to Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Chase Claypool, among others.
For now, Rodgers and the Packers have a tough task going up against a championship-contender in that of the Buffalo Bills in Western New York Sunday night. Another poor showing will lead to more frustration on Rodgers’ part and a renewed push to be active ahead of the trade deadline. That’s for sure.