Aaron Rodgers didn’t hold back during his appearance on The Pat McAfee Show last week. In what quickly turned into a scorched-earth interview, the four-time MVP aired his grievances about the New York Jets, criticizing the team’s new regime while speaking poorly of how his time with the franchise came to an end.
Rodgers claimed he was blindsided by the Jets’ decision to move on. According to the future Hall of Famer, he flew across the country expecting an open conversation about his future, only to be met with a cold and abrupt dismissal from new head coach Aaron Glenn.
He described the interaction as rushed and disrespectful — a far cry from the thoughtful discussion he said he was hoping for. The outburst was already a bad look for Rodgers, but now, it appears it might have been a bit exaggerated.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero made a recent appearance on the Rich Eisen Show last week and painted a more complete picture as to how his exit meeting with the Jets actually unfolded.
According to Pelissero, Rodgers may have left out some important context from that meeting. That context tells a very different story about what really went down behind closed doors.
“What I was told at the time was that Aaron had indicated to them, ‘Hey, I’m going to be on that side of the country in this week,’ and they said, ‘Great, come into the building. And there had been ongoing dialogue up until that about just a variety of different things because Aaron Glenn and him really don’t know each other.”
Tom Pelissero
Aaron Rodgers may have exaggerated his now-infamous NY Jets meeting
Pelissero added further context to the Jets’ decision, noting that Rodgers’ version of events may have left out some key details that tell a different story.
While Rodgers portrayed himself as blindsided by a brief and cold dismissal from Glenn and the Jets, Pelissero suggested the team’s decision was far less abrupt than Rodgers claimed.
Pelissero reported that the meeting was preceded by ongoing dialogue between Rodgers and the team, and it was Rodgers who indicated he would already be on the East Coast that week.
The Jets didn’t summon him across the country as he implied, but rather welcomed him into the building when he mentioned being nearby. That distinction may seem small, but it paints Rodgers’ account in a much different light.
Pelissero also pointed to Rodgers’ public airing of that private conversation as evidence of why the Jets were ready to move on.
“Aaron is on a national TV show talking about a private conversation,” Pelissero told Eisen. “That kind of is evidence of part of why the Jets just didn’t think this would be a workable situation. They wanted to start fresh in this entire thing.”
Rodgers may have framed the meeting as a sudden and disrespectful dismissal, but Pelissero’s report makes it clear that wasn’t the case. If anything, Rodgers’ very public reaction may have only reinforced why the Jets felt it was time to cut ties.