It’s been a wild ride for the New York Jets. They basically went from being a Super Bowl contender to a non-playoff team, all because of Aaron Rodgers’ injury in Week 1.
The Jets organization trusted Zach Wilson to hold down the fort while Rodgers worked his way back to the field. That didn’t turn out the way they wanted, and they failed to acquire a veteran backup or a Plan B.
HC Robert Saleh eventually benched Wilson in favor of Tim Boyle and Trevor Siemian. Neither of them fared any better, and a report by The Athletic stated that the team wanted to turn back to Wilson, but he refused to get back on the field out of fear of getting hurt.
That report infuriated Rodgers, who didn’t mince his words about people inside the franchise leaking that kind of stuff, stating that winning organizations have no place for that kind of thing.
Aaron Rodgers, quarterback of the New York Jets
Saleh Didn’t Think It Was An Attack On The Organization
Even so, Robert Saleh didn’t necessarily take those comments as an attack onthe organization. If anything, he stated that they appreciate Rodgers’ input, although he did say that they would handle the situation internally:
“I don’t think it’s an attack on the organization, but I always appreciate Aaron’s thoughts and comments,” Saleh told the media. “We’ll handle all that stuff internally, but like I said, everyone’s going to have their thoughts, but those are the things we’ll handle internally.”
Rodgers has been quite vocal about how good he feels in the Big Apple and with the organization, and this was the first time he was critical about them. Given his history, it’s only normal to see that it sounded off the alarms among the fans.
Rodgers Was Livid
The former Green Bay Packers star has had nothing but words of praise and support for Wilson all season long, which is why he was so angry about the fact that someone seemingly tried to take him down:
Aaron Rodgers, quarterback of the New York Jets
“When you use sources and whether intentional or unintentional try to assassinate someone’s character like that report does for Zach, I have a real hard time with that,” Rodgers said on The Pat McAfee Show. “You’re basically saying that this kid is quitting on the team and doesn’t want to play and is giving the middle finger to the organization.”
Rodgers sent a clear message to his teammates and everybody in the organization going forward: He won’t tolerate any leaks to the media, and they’ll have a problem with him.
Wilson Will Start Again
The Jets will now turn back to Wilson. Rodgers’ miracle comeback seems unlikely at this point, as the team has nothing else to play for outside of a first-round pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. Even so, it’ll be his last chance to prove what he’s made of:
“I’m going to have more fun than I’ve ever had, in a professional way,” Wilson said, adding that the reports were “absolutely not” true. “I’ve never once said that to anybody in this locker room, that I wouldn’t want to play,” he added.
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Aaron Rodgers rips report that Zach Wilson doesn"t want to start for Jets
It’s a shame that things didn’t end the way the Jets and their fans expected, but that’s just how things go in this sport sometimes. Now, it’ll be interesting to see if any other team is willing to give Wilson a chance to earn a starting job again.
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