Former Jets teammate describes nice Aaron Rodgers gesture

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers may not have been beloved by all of his New York Jets teammates last season when the club went 5-12.

However, Jets pass-rusher Jermaine Johnson had nothing but good things to say about Rodgers while chatting with Newsday's Al Iannazzone recently. 

How Aaron Rodgers came through for Jermaine Johnson

"He’s a future Hall of Fame teammate," Johnson said about Rodgers. 

Johnson described how he needed to fly to Los Angeles for surgery after suffering a torn Achilles tendon in Week 2 of the 2024 season. He reached out to ask if he could use Rodgers' private jet to fly to California, and the 41-year-old ultimately made arrangements for that trip. When Johnson contacted Rodgers about paying for the favor, the signal-caller told him the bill was covered.

Of course, Rodgers went down with the same injury in Week 1 of the 2023 season. According to Iannazzone, Rodgers kept in touch with Johnson as the 26-year-old spent the remainder of the 2024 campaign recovering from the frustrating setback. 

"He knows where I was at because he’s been through it," Johnson said about Rodgers. "Just keeping my head in a good place and being a good friend, a good teammate. There’s always love there."

It's been debated whether Rodgers will have revenge on his mind when he makes his official Steelers debut against the Jets on Sunday. He and New York wide receiver Garrett Wilson allegedly "never saw eye-to-eye" last season. On Thursday, Wilson revealed that he hasn't spoken to Rodgers since the Jets parted ways with the four-time MVP earlier this year. 

What Jermaine Johnson will say to Aaron Rodgers after Jets-Steelers clash

"I know he’s going to give me his best and I’m for sure going to give him my best," Johnson said about going up against Rodgers. "I’m going to try my best to get him to the ground and affect him in however way I can. I’m just excited to compete." 

Johnson added that he hopes to "dap [Rodgers] up and say it’s good to see him, good luck the rest of the season" after Sunday's contest. 

Rodgers didn't win a lot with the Jets, but it sounds like that doesn't mean much to Johnson heading into Week 1.