Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers conducted his final press conference of his first season with the Jets. His message was sort of mixed.
On one hand, Rodgers said that the Jets need to focus on winning.
“Anything that doesn’t have anything to do with winning needs to be assessed,” Rodgers added. “So anything in this building that we’re doing individually or collectively that has nothing to do with real winning needs to be assessed. . . . It’s not a half the time thing, it’s not a sometimes thing, it’s not a most of the time thing, it’s an every time thing. If you want to be a winning organization, and to put yourself in position to win championships and be competitive, everything that you do matters, and the bullshit that has nothing to do with winning needs to get out of the building. So, that’ll be the focus moving forward.”
On the other hand, Rodgers declined to address his bizarre Jimmy Kimmel beef, which went to full broil last week after Rodgers arguably defamed Kimmel by linking him to Jeffrey Epstein. Instead, Rodgers said he’ll discuss the situation in his Tuesday appearance on ESPN’s Pat McAfee Show.
“I"m gonna talk about it tomorrow on the show,” Rodgers said. “Tune in. . . . Check me out tomorrow.”
If Rodgers was truly committed to eliminating everything not involved in winning, perhaps Rodgers would practice what he preaches. Perhaps he would set the example. Perhaps he wouldn’t create distractions by riffing every week in a public setting about whatever conspiracy theory or controversial subject he chooses to address.
The good news is that the new offseason won’t entail any of the annual “bullshit” (to use Rodgers’s word) about whether he’ll retire or not retire or whether he’ll play for the Jets or someone else. There will be no dark rooms or ayahuasca trips to seek clarity regarding his football career. He will be back in 2024, with the Jets.
Will he stay beyond that? Much of it depends on what the Jets do in 2024. After the 2023 disaster, there will not be many changes. If 2024 becomes a repeat of 2023, there will be massive changes. And Rodgers will likely be one of them; he recognized that everyone will be on the “hot seat” next year.
Also next year, ESPN will continue to have Rodgers every week on McAfee’s show. Unless of course ESPN and/or Disney decide that last week’s “bullshit” from Rodgers is more trouble than it’s worth.
