The New York Jets are severing ties with Aaron Rodgers following two tumultuous seasons during which his off-field persona overshadowed the team’s on-field struggles. A significant part of this distraction originated from Rodgers’ highly publicized weekly appearances on The Pat McAfee Show on ESPN, where he discussed not only the Jets’ season but also his political ambitions, trending news topics, and broader sports and political issues.
According to insights from NFL insider Dianna Russini (well-connected to the Jets organization), Rodgers’ presence on PMS became a point of contention as the team deliberated his future. On her podcast Scoop City this week, Russini reported that during a meeting between new head coach Aaron Glenn and GM Darren Mougey with Rodgers after the season, they established clear expectations. For Rodgers to return, he would need to commit to attending all offseason team activities and cease his appearances on The Pat McAfee Show. This ultimatum elicited a notable reaction from co-host Chase Daniel.
“They had a conversation with him of, ‘if you were to stay here, here’s how we would want it to be,” Russini stated. “This to me is Aaron Glenn getting control back.”
However, the Jets’ management’s condition may have been irrelevant since it appears that Rodgers wanted to leave regardless. “I think that no matter what the Jets were going to say, Aaron Rodgers wanted to move on,” Russini noted.
Throughout last year, aside from his frequent disputes with local media, Rodgers utilized PMS to take on almost every major personality at ESPN. At times, he commented on global political issues and even entertained the idea of a vice presidency. Even indirectly, he remained a central figure in sports media for negative reasons, and in reality, PMS is one of the more subdued platforms on Rodgers’ repertoire—it just happens to be the largest sports show.
For a team boasting a talented young core and fresh leadership looking to rebound after a 5-12 season, the Aaron Rodgers saga was clearly not worth the surrounding turmoil. New York might have welcomed his return had he agreed to adopt a lower profile, but that is simply not in his nature.
