Jets' Aaron Rodgers responds to critics amid latest controversy
New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers has used his weekly appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show" to air many grievances over the past few years.
This is the same platform in which he opined about being "in the crosshairs of the woke mob" and that the final nail was going to be put in his "cancel culture casket."
McAfee rarely, if ever, pushes back on Rodgers — which makes the show a great place for the four-time MVP to talk about whatever he wants: from COVID-19 conspiracies to asking the Green Bay Packers to trade him to the Jets.
The "Aaron Rodgers Tuesdays" segment is an open forum for the quarterback, and in his latest appearance, he pushed back against the critics who were upset that he allowed himself to be activated off the injured reserve by the Jets — meaning he's taking a roster spot despite not being able to physically play.
"I assumed I was going to go on IR. I asked to be put on IR, but then there was a conversation, 'Do you want to practice?' I said not at the expense of somebody getting cut. I know how this works. I didn't feel like I needed to practice to continue my rehab. I could do on-the-field stuff on the side, but, obviously, I got overruled there. It is what it is. This was an interesting situation," Rodgers explained.
The Jets wanted Rodgers to get the extra practice time, obviously thinking about a potential Super Bowl run with the MVP quarterback in 2024.
Unfortunately, in activating Rodgers, the Jets had to release a player, which ended up being fullback Nick Bawden.
"I called Nick right away," Rodgers explained. "I just said, 'Hey, I hope you know this isn't coming from me. I asked to be put on IR.' He actually said, 'Hey, look, I'm vested. I'm getting my money. I'm fine.'"
Bawden was picked up to the team's practice squad after his release, and as Rodgers' quote mentioned, the fullback's $1.1 million salary was guaranteed since he was on the opening-day roster.
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