A former teammate — and sometime critic of Aaron Rodgers — says he believes the 40-year-old quarterback could be set to have a big year for the Jets.
Former Green Bay Packers wide receiver Greg Jennings, who won a Super Bowl with Rodgers in 2011, said the star quarterback’s comments during OTA’s on Tuesday show he knows how important this season is for him — and the entire Jets’ organization.
“If I don’t do what I know I’m capable of doing, we’re all probably going to be out of here,”Rodgers told The Post’s Brian Costello and other reporters regarding his future with the Jets, while also referring to the tenures of coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas likely coming to an end if the team struggles. “I like that kind of pressure, though. It’s a tough market to play in. It’s not for everybody. I relish that opportunity.”
Jennings said on “The Carton Show” Wednesday those pointed comments show Rodgers is taking personal accountability for the team, and that could mean trouble for the rest of the NFL since he’s at his best when he’s totally “locked in.”
“Listening to Aaron Rodgers say what he said, the league is in trouble,” Jennings told Craig Carton, who was formerly with WFAN, and the other show’s panelists. “When he has this mentality, there’s no one better. … I know he’s 40, I know he’s coming off of injury. But when [he has] this mindset, with how great he is — he’s one of the smartest quarterbacks, he’s going to be a great decision-maker — if his [physical] ability is still there, and he’s taking this posture, watch out.”
Rodgers and Jennings were teammates for seven seasons from 2006-12, the last five in which Rodgers was the starting quarterback.
Jennings made the Pro Bowl in 2010 and ’11.
This analysis from Jennings, who retired from the NFL in 2016 after 10 seasons, comes from a former teammate who has criticized Rodgers in the past for his lack of leadership and poor play.
In 2022, Jennings said Rodgers was wrong to publicly rip his teammates on “The Pat McAfee Show” when things weren’t going well at the end of his time with Green Bay, and that he could be playing better, too.
“You can’t do this,” Jennings said, according to Carmen Vitali of Fox Sports. “You can’t sit down on a show and start talking about who should and shouldn’t be playing because of mental errors.”