Earlier this week Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton decided to heavily criticize how his new team performed last season under coach Nathaniel Hackett, who’s now coaching Aaron Rodgers with the New York Jets.
Payton’s remarks drew a lot of attention because he claimed Hackett did “one of the worst coaching jobs in the history of the NFL.” That is not exactly what you’d typically hear from a head coach who knows the definition of bulletin board material. Bill Belichick would never.
Yet, Payton claimed he still had his “FOX hat” on instead of thinking like someone who’s part of an NFL organization while later trying to apologize for his remarks. But the problem is, word spreads fast in the football community, and too many coaches, players, and analysts know what type of target Payton placed on Denver’s backs.
It turns out four-time NFL MVP and Super Bowl winning QB Aaron Rodgers caught wind of Payton’s remarks, and the ten-time Pro Bowler didn’t like what he heard. Not to mention, coach Hackett has long been a close confidant of Rodgers. The QB even recommended he become a head coach and welcomed the opportunity to reconnect with him in the Big Apple after their three seasons together in Green Bay.
So what did Rodgers have to say about Payton’s criticism? Let’s just say the 39-year-old didn’t hold back. Here is the advice to Payton from Rodgers.
“I thought it was way out of line, inappropriate, and I think he needs to keep my coach’s name out of his mouth.”
Aaron Rodgers responds to Sean Payton’s harsh comments about Nathaniel Hackett, New York Jets
Here’s the clip of Rodgers making the remarks, where he also called coach Payton “insecure.”
You can bet the Week 5 matchup between the New York Jets and Denver Broncos is circled on the calendars of every single player on the Jets. Chances are, the Broncos feel the same way. October 8th can’t come soon enough.
Related: NFL QB Rankings: Where does Aaron Rodgers rank compared to Jordan Love, Derek Carr, others?