The New York Jets apparently didn’t care whether or not Aaron Rodgers was going on Goddamn Glenn Beck or The Pat McAfee Show. The Jets announced their decision to move on from Rodgers on Thursday, which Awful Announcing’s Brandon Contes described as “embarrassing.” This announcement followed a report by The Athletic’s Dianna Russini that highlighted the new regime at Gang Green drawing a hard line regarding Rodgers’ appearances on McAfee’s program.
According to Russini, Jets head coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey set firm expectations post-season, stating that if Rodgers wished to return, he would need to participate in all offseason team activities and sever ties with McAfee’s show. However, no one interpreted this as Rodgers choosing McAfee over the Jets; rather, it marked the end of a tumultuous relationship, with both parties agreeing it was time to part ways. NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport offered a differing perspective, downplaying any ultimatum and clarifying that the Jets simply laid out their expectations if Rodgers wanted to stay with the team.
From The Insiders on @NFLNetwork: No, the #Jets did not release Aaron Rodgers because he refused to stop doing the @PatMcAfeeShow. They never asked him to stop and didn’t view it as a distraction. The final decision was far more collective. pic.twitter.com/A0N5A3FulJ
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 14, 2025
“I know there was a report — ‘The Jets don’t want Aaron Rodgers to do The Pat McAfee Show. And if he agrees not to, then, will bring him back.’ It wasn’t like that,” Rapoport clarified on Thursday’s The Insiders. He stated that the Jets were unconcerned about Rodgers being on the show; it primarily impacted the PR department, not the team. He remarked, “It’s New York; there are plenty of distractions elsewhere… It seemed to stem from discussions that ultimately revealed this was not going to work.” Essentially, while the Jets desired greater presence from Rodgers, there were no attempts to mandate compliance.
Despite some backlash aimed at Rapoport from critics of Russini’s journalism, Rapoport affirmed her reporting. He confirmed that discussions regarding the next season involved offseason workouts and media appearances, but, crucially, no ultimatums were given.
To be clear, @DMRussini’s report is true — aggregators took it and changed it all. The Jets and Rodgers talked about what next season would look like if he were to come back. It included conversations about offseason workouts and outside media, including McAfee. No ultimatums. https://t.co/omqd9eartS
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 14, 2025
Ironically, Rodgers himself had previously disputed a Russini report, implying a lack of journalistic integrity related to claims he would leave the Jets. Ultimately, he did depart a few months later. Media narratives regarding Rodgers’ exit may vary, but the core issue remains: both sides recognized their misalignment regarding expectations and priorities, leading to the mutual decision to part ways.
