The seemingly endless woes are almost over in a New York Jets season that has produced plenty of headlines, but not many wins.
Following the Jets’ final meeting with the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, the question marks will begin looming on what will happen with Aaron Rodgers.
The circling speculation on the 41-year-old future Hall of Famer is that the Jets will release him or that Rodgers could even retire from the NFL.
It’s been easy for onlookers to point at Rodgers for the chaos that has led to a 4-12 record, a fired general manager and head coach and a 14th consecutive season failing to make the playoffs. But Rich Cimini’s latest story for ESPN revealed that despite what perceptions are of Rodgers, no player inside the Jets organization has corroborated any of them.
“I feel like he’s a guy that’s definitely misunderstood,” said Jets cornerback D.J. Reed. He added that it’s a privilege to play with him.
“People have their ups and downs and things to say about him,” offensive tackle Morgan Moses said, “but the only thing I can talk about is how I see him every day in this workplace — dealing with injuries, dealing with the uncertainty of coaching changes and just being a staple in the locker room.”
Cimini eluded to the idea that players could potentially say such things out of a fear of being removed from Rodgers’ circle of trust. He also wrote that players have taken note of his negative body language when a someone misses a catch or runs the wrong route, citing an anonymous teammate, “It’s like, ‘Come on, man, we’re all in this together.'”
After a Week 6 loss to the Buffalo Bills, Rodgers implied that wide receiver Mike Williams was to blame for missing a critical play. He clarified extensively how Williams was expected to execute a vertical route indicated by a red line on the practice field, rather than cutting inside with an in-breaking route.
This misstep ultimately marked the premature conclusion of Williams’ brief stint with the Jets.
Williams, who was acquired in the offseason, was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers four weeks later.
“The Mike Williams red line saga was a tough look on his leadership,” former Jets quarterback and Amazon analyst Ryan Fitzpatrick told ESPN. “He will take the blame in press conferences, but a lot of times it feels empty to me because of the field body language and eye rolls during the game.
Rodgers larger-than-life aura has worked through a career where he’s claimed four MVP awards and a Super Bowl, among other things. But this season, his first full-length one not with the Green Bay Packers, it’s been particularly under a magnifying glass.
“His arrogance works for teammates when they’re winning and can be infectious, and a positive, for the team. But it is hated by many that don’t know him because it comes across as smug.”
As someone who understands the New York spotlight and the internal workings of the Jets organization, Fitzpatrick has a more pragmatic view of Rodgers’ presence.
“I’m sure most of his teammates really like being around him and gravitate to his energy,” Fitzpatrick said. “I know for a fact he treats people the right way in the building, which is great to hear, but he has become such a polarizing figure — because you’re either with him or you aren’t.
“If you’re not [with him], then you’re stupid [in Rodgers’ eyes] — a weird, childish stance that I have to imagine alienates a lot of people once you stop having daily interactions with him.”
Read more: Aaron Rodgers Calls Time With Jets ‘Best’ of His Life Despite Dysfunction Rumors
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