Former Jets QB shares Aaron Rodgers theory amid club's struggles

Former New York Jets quarterback and current NFL analyst Boomer Esiason still has ties to the organization and suggested before the Jets fired Robert Saleh when the team was 2-3 that there was "a major issue" between Saleh and Aaron Rodgers. 

After New York fell to 3-7 on the season via Sunday's 31-6 blowout loss at the Arizona Cardinals, Esiason touched upon why the Jets have been "an unmitigated disaster" throughout Rodgers' time with the organization. 

"It’s like Aaron Rodgers has completely sucked the air out of the building," Esiason said during Monday's edition of the WFAN morning show, as shared by Ryan Chichester of Audacy. "...He’s a first-ballot Hall of Famer and one of the greatest QBs we’ve ever seen in his prime…but since he has come here, every player on this team has deferred everything to him." 

Rodgers essentially missed all of last season, his first with the Jets, due to the torn Achilles he suffered in Week 1. Before he largely looked like a shell of his former great self during the ongoing campaign, one anonymous NFL agent ripped the Jets this past summer for giving Rodgers too much power and for not being able "to convert him into a team player."

"The vibe inside the building is terrible," the agent added at that time. 

More recently, numerous outsiders blamed Rodgers for Saleh's dismissal and for the fact that the Jets acquiring star receiver Davante Adams from the Las Vegas Raiders resulted in the club shipping veteran receiver Mike Williams to the Pittsburgh Steelers ahead of last week's trade deadline. Williams was a hero for the Steelers in their 28-27 win over the Washington Commanders on Sunday. 

"Russell Wilson said something about Mike Williams…that when he got to Pittsburgh, he showed up with such a big smile on his face, and he was so happy," Esiason continued on Monday morning. "Like he was so unencumbered from playing with the Jets and Aaron Rodgers. Mike Williams basically gives you a real perspective on what is going on in that locker room with the Jets."

Rodgers turns 41 years old in December, and it's unclear if he'll want to play either for the Jets or a different team next season. Esiason hinted that Rodgers' decision could cause some top-tier head coaching candidates to pass on the Jets this coming January, as they may not want to be married to a past-his-prime quarterback who is seemingly running the show in Florham Park.