Aaron Rodgers has strong choice of words when asked about facing Jets in Week 1 and what his time with the team still means to him
Quarterback spent two years in New York.
The two seasons Aaron Rodgers spent on the New York Jets were certainly not what the veteran expected when traded from the Green Bay Packers in 2023. A significant injury in his first game and a flawed second season, zero playoff appearances, and an unapologetic release this offseason, making Rodgers reevaluate his future before signing a one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Now that Rodgers has a new team, his first game will be exactly against the Jets, at MetLife Stadium. But the quarterback doesn’t sound to have bad blood against the Jets, despite how everything shook out, and had positively strong words to describe his attitude with and towards the franchise.
“I really embraced my time there and put as much myself into it as I possibly could,” Rodgers said on Adam Schein’s Monday afternoon show. “I really wanted to win there, I really did. And I have a lot of appreciation for the special moments. There weren’t a ton of them, but one of the coolest moments, unfortunately, four plays later was all taken away, but running out on that field, it was a special night. Even though it ended very shortly after, it will always be kind of a special snapshot.”
In spite of the Achilles injury, Aaron Rodgers said he gave everything to put himself in position to help the Jets as much as possible.
“I wish it had gone differently up there for sure, but I put all I had into it,” he added. “I tore my Achilles and battled my ass back to come back to practice to inspire the guys and hope to come back. I put a lot into it and I’m sorry it didn’t work out, but I’m thankful for the couple special moments that were had.”
Even though Rodgers had some criticism about what the Jets put in place around him, the quarterback doesn’t have any special expectation for the Week 1 game.
“Probably nowhere near where it might be made out,” Rodgers affirmed. “A lot has changed over there, coaching staff-wise, player-wise. Obviously, I have friendships over there, but it’s one game out of 17, and five o’clock Eastern on that Sunday, it’s only going to be on to the next game. So that’s just the way it is.”
Aaron Rodgers will face both of his former teams this season. After the Jets game in Week 1, the Pittsburgh Steelers play the Green Bay Packers on Sunday Night Football in Week 8.
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