Listing all the people who have ripped the New York Jets quarterback
New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers is no stranger to haters, particularly in the media. Still, even for him, the vitriol aimed in his direction this offseason has been overkill.
Or maybe it’s just that there’s nothing better to talk about, making the barbs more noticeable.
Either way, it’s entertaining to turn the haters into a list of the best Rodgers detractors. Who has done the best job of attacking the Jets quarterback this offseason?
Dishonorable mentions
Kurt Warner claimed that Rodgers is not in the all-time GOAT conversation because he has only one Super Bowl. This is a more typical debate point about Rodgers and isn’t necessarily a personal knock.
Kurt Warner on Aaron Rodgers:
“He doesn’t get into the greatest conversation until he gets to another Super Bowl” pic.twitter.com/t7O7MX9Civ
— JM Football (@JomboyMediaFB) May 28, 2024
Former Packers receiver Amari Rodgers showed his sour grapes when he commented “If only [I] had this type of love coming into GB, but to each his own!” in response to the report that Malachi Corley was getting personal attention from Aaron Rodgers.
amari rodgers deleted this tweet pic.twitter.com/0JeNfY9D9x
— zach jacobson (@zacobson) May 4, 2024
The Detroit Tigers’ Jumbotron exulted over the fact that a little-known special teamer had more completed passes than Rodgers. It was certainly tasteless.
Ruthless video board game at Comerica Park pic.twitter.com/WrTbmFsjdf
— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) June 9, 2024
10. Jason La Canfora
If only Aaron Rodgers cared about football as much as he did conspiracy theories and anti-science the Jets might have a fighting chance. Oh well. Same as it ever was
— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) June 12, 2024
9. Shaun who?
For his career, Shaun King posted a 27:24 TD:INT ratio. His most memorable moment in reference to the Jets was being the losing quarterback of the Keyshawn revenge game, a 21-17 Jets comeback victory in 2000 after trailing 17-6 at the two-minute warning.
A player with that kind of resumé, who has faded into oblivion after his career much as he was obscure during it, still took the opportunity to rip Rodgers.
“Robert Saleh is obviously on the hot seat. What more could you do to undermine the soft footing that he’s already on than to miss the mandatory minicamp?”
King added that Rodgers knew when minicamp would be right when the 2023 season ended. He called Rodgers “selfish” for choosing to miss minicamp rather than reschedule his other engagement.
Of course, King undermined his whole premise by claiming that Rodgers needed time to work with Mike Williams. As anyone who’s even semi-aware of what’s going on around the Jets knows, Williams is still sidelined by his ACL tear and was not on the field for mandatory minicamp.
At least get the facts right.
8. Matt Miller
Upon the news that Rodgers missed the Jets’ mandatory minicamp:
Gimme the under on Jets wins this year. https://t.co/TMP5o7iPAf
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) June 11, 2024
7. Nick Wright
"This is why Aaron Rodgers is such a phony."
— @getnickwright on Rodgers missing Jets minicamp: pic.twitter.com/eOUOssSvnA
— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) June 12, 2024
6. ESPN in on the act
Dan Graziano of ESPN is a familiar face in the bash Rodgers media. He called Rodgers a “narcissistic con artist” during the NFL playoffs, per The New York Post.
Most recently, regarding Rodgers missing minicamp, Graziano said, “No, it’s not an overreaction. Thirty-one starting quarterbacks made their mandatory minicamp. It’s another Aaron Rodgers thing. So far in his time with the Jets, he has not made a contribution to winning (which is a phrase I borrowed from him), and he has been a distraction. He’s been all about everything else.”
… sigh 😔 @DanGrazianoESPN ripped apart #Jets QB Aaron Rodgers this morning for his decision to skip the team’s 2-day mandatory minicamp:
🏈 ‘31 starting quarterbacks made their mandatory minicamps.’
🏈 ‘So far in his time with the Jets he has not made a contribution to… pic.twitter.com/G8TWYXCTt3
— Paul Andrew Esden Jr (@BoyGreen25) June 21, 2024
5. Shannon not-so-Sharpe
Shannon Sharpe claims he’s been telling us all for a decade that Rodgers is “selfish” and “does not care about the team.” Co-host Chad Johnson added that he feels bad for Garrett Wilson.
4. Continuing nemesis
Long-time Patriots receiver Julian Edelman was a thorn in the Jets’ side as a player, posting 79 catches for 855 yards and 5 touchdowns in 17 matchups. He passed that mantle on to his post-playing-days self when he went on the hunt for Rodgers’ blood.
“I think it’s a bad look for your leader, for whatever reason, to go and miss (a mandatory minicamp). I was with Tom Brady in his 25th year or 23rd year, and he started missing OTAs here and there, but he never missed a mandatory minicamp. I just thought it was a bad look.”
Edelman added that other players are likely upset about Rodgers’ absence and if the Jets start 1-3, it’s going to be a major distraction.
It’s worth noting who Edelman was talking to, though — which brings us to the king of all the Rodgers haters.
3. Following the herd
Colin Cowherd’s loathing of Rodgers has reached obscene heights. I don’t think it’s even possible to list all the different times and ways he’s ripped the Jets quarterback this offseason. This is what he had to say back in May: “Aaron is a pretty prickly old quarterback with maybe one year left. I think he’s absolutely past his prime.”
Cowherd also called Rodgers’ attempted return in 2023 a “PR grift” and claimed that Rodgers will “soon be irrelevant.”
Maybe calling Cowherd’s show “The Herd” makes sense since that’s what he’s followed when it comes to the Rodgers narrative.
Colin Cowherd reports Aaron Rodgers is on "vacation" overseas this week, which is why he missed Jets mandatory minicamp:
"This is sort of what you would expect. Impulsive owner, new GM, coach with a losing record, prickly, older, at times arrogant, disconnected quarterback." pic.twitter.com/8VwjqGiDql
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 12, 2024
2. C.J. Stroud
In some ways, C.J. Stroud’s attack on Rodgers was the most disrespectful, as it went to the heart of who he is as a quarterback. It’s one thing to say Rodgers is not in the GOAT conversation due to having only one ring, but it’s a different ballgame to prefer the career of the mediocre Eli Manning over Rodgers’. To say Matthew Stafford would have won more rings in the same situation is even more slander.
C.J. Stroud would prefer Eli Manning's career over Aaron Rodgers' https://t.co/Gn5unINnha pic.twitter.com/0MEV7QZii5
— TheGiantsWire (@TheGiantsWire) June 4, 2024
#Texans QB CJ Stroud says Matthew Stafford would have 3 or 4 rings if he had been in Aaron Rodgers' shoes all those years in Green Bay.
“If you gave Matthew Stafford a chance like Aaron Rodgers had, I guarantee you he might have more rings for sure.”pic.twitter.com/MXiYMvEBEF
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) June 4, 2024
Stroud’s approach was wrong, but it’s the disrespect that a second-year passer with 23 regular-season touchdown passes under his belt showed for one of the best quarterbacks of all time that puts him at this spot.
Oh, and for a player whose biggest struggles as a rookie came against the Jets, it might not have been the wisest course of action.
1. Pro Football Talk
If there’s anyone who hates Rodgers more than Cowherd, it’s Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Just type in “Mike Florio Aaron Rodgers” into YouTube, and you’ll get segment after segment of Florio ripping on Rodgers. For example, he sarcastically commented that Rodgers “probably wouldn’t be on the logo of the National Football League.”
Aaron Rodgers is skipping the full Jets mandatory minicamp, and it's still not clear what he prioritized over showing up for work. https://t.co/EmA1IA39AD pic.twitter.com/9ClcEniagT
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) June 12, 2024
In another segment, he referenced Edelman’s shot, claiming that it would sting for Rodgers, coming as it did from a player who has as many Super Bowl MVPs as he does, more than it would coming from the media. Then he went off on a bit of a tangent about Rodgers.
“It’s easy to dismiss the haters. Anyone in the media who would dare question Aaron Rodgers is ‘corrupted by Big Pharma’ or otherwise evil. He’s got this weird, everything is binary, good-evil. … He’s got it all twisted into ‘he’s Frodo, we’re the Dark Lord, he’s Luke Skywalker and we’re Darth Vader.’ Maybe he’s Darth Vader.”
Most recently, in an indirect but clear shot at Rodgers, Florio ranked the Jets’ roster 25th in the NFL.
