Two former New York Jets quarterbacks have criticized Aaron Rodgers for seemingly throwing a teammate under the bus following Monday night’s loss to the Buffalo Bills.
On the Jets’ last offensive play of the game, Rodgers was picked off after heaving the ball downfield to wide receiver Mike Williams, who ended up slipping while turning around to make the catch.
Following the game, Rodgers pointed the finger at Williams, saying the veteran wide receiver ran the wrong route. During Tuesday’s appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” Rodgers double downed on those comments.
“There were a lot of mistakes throughout the night, but if you look at just that play — that’s what the question was –what happened on that play? It was two verticals to the right side and Mike needed to get to the red line, which would’ve been a big gain,” Rodgers said. “I wasn’t calling Mike out for anything other than his responsibility and the details of that play. I have a lot of love and respect for Mike, he’s done some nice things for us. On that play, he wasn’t in the right spot.”
“I’ve gotta play better & I can’t make that throw to end the game..
The question was about what happened on that play & I wasn’t calling Mike Williams out..
I hold myself to a standard of greatness & when it hasn’t been there I stand up there & say I gotta play better” ~… pic.twitter.com/A8ijlW4ArK
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) October 15, 2024
The Jets’ 23-20 loss dropped them to 2-4 on the season.
Former New York Jets quarterbacks sound off on Aaron Rodgers
Rodgers’ response didn’t sit well with two former Jets QBs in Ryan Fitzpatrick and Boomer Esiason.
Fitzpatrick, who played 17 years in the NFL for nine different teams and is currently an analyst for Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime, ripped the future Hall of Famer for how he handled the situation.
“This response is the biggest thing I don’t understand about Aaron…. can be super charismatic, his swagger gives teammates the ultimate confidence BUT why can’t he shoulder ALL the blame in the media and then get behind closed doors with Mike Williams or the whole offense or the whole team or anyone else that isn’t doing their job and tell them he needs more out of them,” Fitzpatrick posted on X. “The need to set the record straight at the expense of someone lesser than just hurts me.”
This response is the biggest thing I don’t understand about Aaron….can be super charismatic, his swagger gives teammates the ultimate confidence BUT
why can’t he shoulder ALL the blame in the media and then get behind closed doors with Mike Williams or the whole offense or the… pic.twitter.com/JyEhoX1DVP
— Ryan Fitzpatrick (@FitzMagic_14) October 15, 2024
Fitzpatrick wasn’t the only former New York quarterback to sound off. On his WFAN radio show, Boomer Esiason was shocked someone of Rodgers’ stature would say that about a teammate.
“I don’t ever remember Tom Brady, Peyton Manning or anybody else… I don’t ever remember them ever saying anything publicly behind the podium the way that Aaron did last night,” Esiason said, via the New York Post.
“There has to be strong personalities that are gonna will that team to win and stay together in times like this. That’s why I’m so shocked that Aaron Rodgers said what he said last night about Mike Williams… I’m really shocked by it because that’s not really what a leader should be doing.”
The Jets, who just acquired wide receiver Davante Adams, will be facing the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday Night Football.
