Aaron Rodgers’ comments about Mike Williams after the Jets’ loss to the Bills on Monday night have rubbed several former Jets quarterbacks the wrong way, with Ryan Fitzpatrick becoming the latest.
The NFL analyst, who had a 17-year NFL career with nine different teams, including two seasons with the Jets, criticized the way Rodgers has led the team, particularly calling him out for his comments about Williams, where the quarterback seemed to blame the receiver for a game-deciding interception.
Rodgers went on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Tuesday and appeared to defend how he spoke after the loss, which prompted Fitzpatrick to respond on X.
“This response is the biggest thing I don’t understand about Aaron….can be super charismatic, his swagger gives teammates the ultimate confidence BUT,” Fitzpatrick wrote. “Why can’t he shoulder ALL the blame in the media and then get behind closed doors with Mike Williams or the whole offense or the whole team or anyone else that isn’t doing their job and tell them he needs more out of them.
“The need to set the record straight at the expense of someone lesser than just hurts me.”
Following Monday’s loss to the Bills, Rodgers said that Williams ran an incorrect route that resulted in the botched throw.
“There’s two verticals, Allen [Lazard]’s down the seam, and Mike’s down the red line,” Rodgers told reporters at the time. “So, I’m throwing a no look to the red line. When I peak my eyes back there Mike’s running an ‘in-breaker’ … it’s gotta be down the red line.”
On Monday, ex-Jets quarterback Boomer Esiason took Rodgers to task on his WFAN radio show over the way Rodgers spoke about Williams.
“I don’t ever remember Tom Brady, Peyton Manning or anybody else… I don’t ever remember them ever saying anything publicly behind the podium the way that Aaron did last night,” Esiason said.
“There has to be strong personalities that are gonna will that team to win and stay together in times like this. That’s why I’m so shocked that Aaron Rodgers said what he said last night about Mike Williams…I’m really shocked by it because that’s not really what a leader should be doing.”
Rodgers’ leadership is sure to come under more scrutiny as the season rolls on after the Jets (2-4) acquired superstar wideout Davante Adams from the Raiders.