As per usual, Aaron Rodgers made his weekly appearance on the “Pat McAfee Show.” And, per usual, the star quarterback didn’t hold back from expressing his true thoughts and feelings.
When asked about the anonymous agent who claimed the New York Jets were in “complete disarray,” per The Athletic in late August, Rodgers responded very pointedly.
“I would say that the culture is about the opposite of what the article said,” Rodgers told McAfee on Tuesday. “I didn’t read the article, but just reading the headline, I see that it sounds like it was written by Haason Reddick’s agent. (Well), former agent … I guess, possibly in a way to disparage our great organization.”
Pat McAfee asked Aaron Rodgers about the anonymous agent who spoke to The Athletic in August and said “There is complete disarray over there” with the #Jets.
Rodgers said he “didn’t read the article but just reading the headline, it sounds like it was written by Haason… pic.twitter.com/nNwO39kYLo
— Antwan V. Staley (@antwanstaley) September 24, 2024
The quarterback also spoke about how the team has bought in and how “ridiculous” some of the offseason storylines can be.
“Is anyone talking about minicamp anymore?” Rodgers asked. “Does anyone feel like that’s an important contributor to the season? The answer is no, it is not. John Simpson has added an element we did not have last year…The attitude that he, Morgan Moses, and Tyron Smith have brought and the growth of Alijah Vera-Tucker and Joe Tippmann have meant a lot to our line.
“They have become the team’s bodyguards, and that’s really important. On the best teams I’ve been on, the offensive line polices the squad, has each other’s backs, and is the first one to back up a brother. They have bought into something in the culture that they can hold onto. And I think it’s because we really care about each other.”
"When you perform like we did Thursday you realize how ridiculous some of these offseason storylines can be..
Our offensive line has become the bodyguards of this team & that's really important..
We really do care about each other on this team"@AaronRodgers12 #PMSLive https://t.co/GQmkv1UzlX pic.twitter.com/eN3YPVd0vL
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) September 24, 2024
Regarding the Jets’ early success, Rodgers kept it very simple.
“We’ve got a good thing going, and there’s a lot of belief in this team right now. I don’t know if everybody knows this, but winning is fun.”
"We've got a good thing going and there's a lot of belief on this team right now..
I don't know if everybody knows this but winning is fun" 😂😂 ~ @AaronRodgers12 #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/7E9H0IR3t6
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) September 24, 2024
Whether it was a slip-up or a purposeful statement, Rodgers may have dropped a bombshell about Haason Reddick’s current situation.
If his agent was truly fired, the star edge rusher could be pushing to get back in the building sooner rather than later to bolster the Jets’ pass rush. However, there is a real possibility that Rodgers’s statement was just conjecture or even trolling, as he sometimes enjoys rubbing the national media the wrong way.
Regarding the Jets’ culture and feeling as a team, Rodgers is right to think that they are in a good spot.
The defense has played much better in the following weeks after a tough Week 1 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. The offense is clicking and improving each week, as Rodgers said, “the progression for me physically is gonna continue because my body is in a good spot.”
Things are looking up for the Jets, who are playing complementary football and improving each week. With a veteran like Rodgers in the fold as a leader, the team should be able to keep on the same path without giving too much credence to the outside noise.