Aaron Rodgers Takes Shot At Jets Owner Woody Johnson

There's a new era with the New York Jets after the last two years were a roller coaster.

New York started on a high. The Jets brought Aaron Rodgers to town with the hopes that he could help transform the franchise and take it back to the playoffs. The quarterback position had been rough for New York. Before Rodgers, the Jets' latest miss was selecting Zach Wilson with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. That's not to say Wilson doesn't have talent, things just didn't work out with the Jets.

So, they brought Rodgers in seemingly as the savior. But, an Achilles injury ended his season before it could begin leading the team back to Wilson.

Fast forward a year, Rodgers returned to the field with high expectations, but a bit of rust. From there, it would be a tumultuous season full of changes. New York tried to infuse the roster with as much talent as possible, like Davante Adams and Haason Reddick. But, there was too much dysfunction. Like, for example, the Jets firing Robert Saleh after five games in 2024.

It was a weird year and the changes went beyond just Saleh. After the campaign, New York moved on from Rodgers after hiring Aaron Glenn and Darren Mougey to lead the team as head coach and general manager. Now, Rodgers is a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Jets have former Steeler Justin Fields.

It's certainly a different time. Rodgers joined The Athletic's Michael Silver and gushed about Pittsburgh and in the process fired a subtle shot at Jets owner Woody Johnson.

"This place reminds me of Green Bay," Rodgers said. "And I say that with the utmost amount of respect, because there are a few cornerstone franchises in the league, and we all know who those are. And there’s a reason they’ve had sustained excellence over the years. Obviously, they’ve won six Super Bowls here and Green Bay’s won 13 world championships. But there’s a way that they operate that sets them apart, and it’s kind of ingrained in the culture.

"I feel like because there is such a history of excellence that there’s almost an underlying, tacit way of carrying yourself. Some owners, these days, are quick to pull the trigger to make a change. But when you have the right culture, and it’s obvious what to do, the one thing that never changes, and shouldn’t, is the person at the top, leading from the front."

It was a wild two years, but now both sides have moved on and will face off against one another in Week 1.