Jets' Aaron Rodgers backs Nathaniel Hackett following offseason report

It was reported in May that the New York Jets "made legitimate attempts this offseason to hire someone who would, essentially, replace" offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett after his unit routinely failed to impress without quarterback Aaron Rodgers in the lineup.

Rodgers unsurprisingly backed Hackett heading into what could become career-altering years for the two. 

"I felt very protective of him," Rodgers recently said about Hackett, as Gabriel Trevino of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com and Mark Cannizzaro of the New York Post shared. "I think thankfully a lot of that’s in the rearview mirror for both of us, but it’s been a tough couple years, with some of the stuff that [Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton] said about him and then obviously the scrutiny with our offense struggling. I feel like he took a lot of it on the chin and wore it well, but we’d like to show some things this year."

Specifically, Payton ripped Hackett last summer for being responsible for what "might have been one of the worst coaching jobs in the history of the NFL" when the current coordinator held Payton's job during the previous season. Rodgers first had Hackett as an OC with the Green Bay Packers from 2019 through the 2021 campaign, and the hope at this time last year was that the two would help guide the Jets to at least a playoff berth. 

Instead, Rodgers went down with a torn Achilles four offensive snaps into New York's regular-season opener. The Jets offense never fully recovered from that setback, and ESPN stats show the unit ended Week 18 ranked 31st in the league with an average of 268.6 yards per game. 

Cannizzaro noted that Jets head coach Robert Saleh "interviewed some offensive coaches in the offseason to add to his staff" but didn't hire anybody "because those whom he interviewed were seeking a coordinator title." It's widely assumed Rodgers' presence resulted in Jets owner Woody Johnson running it back with Hackett, Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas since the future Hall of Famer turns 41 years old this coming December and likely wouldn't have welcomed a fresh start with a new coaching staff. 

As of Thursday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had the 2024 Jets at -175 betting odds to make the playoffs. It's unknown how Johnson would react to the Jets being a one-and-done postseason team this coming January. Still, it seems a given he'll blow things up if what's become the longest active playoff drought in the four major North American sports leagues continues for another year.