Aaron Rodgers makes sure he’s not out of the spotlight for long. In his first appearance on The Pat McAfee Show since his New York Jets release, Rodgers went in tell-all mode — and, predictably, the Jets took many broadsides.
The quarterback went in on newly hired head coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey. He described how the Jets flew him in from Los Angeles only to essentially tell him within “20 seconds” that they were going in a different direction.
He added that Glenn’s rationale for the decision was, “I don’t want to be up in front of the room saying something and have guys looking back at you.” He claims that the pair of them exchanged words, after which Rodgers left.
Asked if he had begged to stay with the Jets, as some reports stated, Rodgers replied, “No… I don’t want any part of that. It was already a debacle in some cases. Listen, that whole situation was crazy.”
As the reactions on Jets Twitter reflected, fans were furious and bitter over Rodgers’ words. New York handed their franchise over to Rodgers on a silver platter for two years, got him the offensive coordinator and players he wanted, ran the offense he dictated despite how outdated it is, and made his every wish their command.
Much of the “crazy” surrounding the Jets’ situation undoubtedly stemmed from their quarterback (maybe even more than we thought). Yet, he simply deflected any blame onto Glenn for the way his tenure ended and the Jets’ organization for the way it went down.
But then again, deflecting blame is the Rodgers way. In Out of the Darkness, an unauthorized biography of Rodgers released before the 2024 season, Ian O’Connor described how Green Bay teammates used to bristle at the quarterback’s lack of personal accountability and willingness to throw his teammates under the bus.
Rodgers did so with the Jets, too, most notably when he told them to get the BS out of the building in 2023 and when he called out Mike Williams in the media for running the wrong route.
Therefore, it should surprise no one that he called the Jets a debacle without acknowledging his own role. By no means was Rodgers the only source of the dysfunction, but he was a big part of it.
There is undoubtedly another side to the story of how Rodgers’ meeting with Glenn and Mougey went. On the surface, it is a poor look if the Jets flew Rodgers across the country while having already made a final decision to let him go.
However, as ESPN’s Rich Cimini pointed out, the underlying story is a common occurrence across the NFL.
Cimini further pointed out that the concern Rodgers cited from Glenn was a legitimate one, regardless of the umbrage Rodgers took over it. Rodgers definitely could have — and, if his history with Mike McCarthy, Robert Saleh, and even Matt LaFleur is any indication, would have — undermined Glenn’s authority, or at least attempted to.
While Jets fans took offense at Rodgers’ words, Jets X-Factor’s Robby Sabo points the finger of blame elsewhere. He expressed concern from the outset that Woody Johnson decided to move on from Rodgers without allowing his new hires to consider the alternative. Perhaps that’s exactly what happened; maybe Glenn was so abrupt with Rodgers because the decision was made for him.
Or maybe not — as I contended, maybe Glenn concurred with Johnson’s (likely) desired approach, which negated the need to consider keeping the quarterback. Maybe Mougey and Glenn agreed with some of the points I made when I exhorted the Jets to move on from Rodgers, or maybe it really was a matter of authority.
More importantly, though, this is old news. Not for Rodgers, obviously, and not for the NFL landscape, which simultaneously derides him and listens avidly when he speaks. But for the Jets? They decided to move on from Rodgers, and they moved on. Next.
Justin Fields is the Jets’ new quarterback. Tanner Engstrand is the new offensive coordinator. And, unlike with Rodgers at the helm and Nathaniel Hackett as his lackey, the Jets are entirely relying on their offensive coaching to piece together competence, not their quarterback.
If Glenn’s trust in his coaching pays off, the Jets could be far more successful offensively even with a far less gifted quarterback. And that’s the piece the Jets were missing over the last two seasons: the architecture and the coaching.
Little in Fields’ previous history suggests that he can succeed as a quarterback. He does not process the field well. The fact that he has had among the three longest average times to throw in the NFL in all four of his seasons, along with poor underlying metrics, largely confirms that.
But after seeing Sam Darnold succeed in Minnesota, it’s hard not to at least entertain the possibility that a good coach can scheme up a reasonable amount of success utilizing his quarterback’s strengths.
Even more to the point, Jalen Hurts’ success with the Eagles despite similar concerns over field processing may provide a blueprint for the Jets to run their offense with Fields. In particular, Hurts’ complete avoidance of the middle of the field is nearly identical to Fields’.
Jets X-Factor’s Andrew Fialkow highlighted 10 plays Engstrand should have in his playbook to support Fields’ strengths. In particular, utilizing the threat of Fields’ legs to open holes for the Jets’ running backs should be a focal point.
With the NFL draft a week away, the Jets’ focus should be on getting Fields all the help they can. A right tackle, tight end, and receiver would be a good start.
As for Rodgers? He’s always going to stir up drama. It’s just who he is. He likely won’t stop taking shots at the Jets anytime soon.
But he’s not the Jets’ problem anymore. Therefore, as blood-boiling as his comments can be for Jets fans, the appropriate reaction is merely a shrug.
The Jets have bigger fish to fry.
