Jets’ Aaron Rodgers defends Nathaniel Hackett and fires again on the Broncos’ Sean Payton

NFL

Payton mentioned Hackett’s transient Broncos tenure was “one of many worst teaching jobs within the historical past of the NFL.”

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers throws throughout a apply session on the NFL soccer workforce’s coaching facility in Florham Park, N.J., Sunday, July 30, 2023. (AP Photograph/Seth Wenig) AP

By DENNIS WASZAK Jr., Related Press

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers is sticking by his offensive coordinator and firing his hardest throw of the summer time at Sean Payton.

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The Jets quarterback was bothered by important feedback Payton, the Denver Broncos’ head coach, just lately made about offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. Payton instructed USA At the moment for a narrative revealed Thursday that Hackett’s 15-game stint with the Broncos final season ”was one of many worst teaching jobs within the historical past of the NFL.″

Payton additionally mentioned there have been “20 soiled palms” round Russell Wilson’s career-worst season, and took some photographs on the Jets — Hackett’s new workforce the place he and Rodgers are reunited after having fun with success collectively in Inexperienced Bay.

“It made me really feel unhealthy that somebody who has achieved quite a bit within the league is that insecure that they need to take one other man all the way down to set themselves up for some form of straightforward fall if it doesn’t go effectively for that workforce this 12 months,” Rodgers instructed NFL Community on Sunday. “I believe it was approach out of line, inappropriate, and I believe he must hold my coaches’ names out of his mouth.”

Rodgers, acquired by New York in April from Inexperienced Bay, mentioned Hackett is “arguably my favourite coach I’ve ever had within the NFL.” The pair was collectively for 2 of Rodgers’ 4 NFL MVP awards in 2020 and 2021 with the Packers.

In the course of the interview with USA At the moment’s Jarrett Bell, Payton additionally criticized the Jets being the most recent NFL workforce “attempting to win the offseason” — one thing he mentioned the Broncos below Hackett tried to do and had been “embarrassed.”

Jets coach Robert Saleh mentioned Thursday “Hackett’s doing an exceptional job right here” when requested about Payton’s feedback. He additionally mentioned the Jets are simply centered on themselves, however acknowledges “there’s lots of people which can be hatin’ on us and lots of people searching for us to fail.”

Payton on Friday mentioned he regretted his feedback during which he disparaged Hackett, and mentioned he would attain out to Hackett and Saleh “on the proper time” to take action.

“Pay attention, I had a kind of moments the place I nonetheless had my Fox hat on and never my teaching hat,” mentioned Payton, who’s returning to the sideline this season after a 12 months’s sabbatical throughout which he labored as a studio soccer analyst for Fox Sports activities following a 15-year stint with the New Orleans Saints.

Rodgers instructed NFL Community he thought Payton’s preliminary feedback “had been very stunning, for a coach to do this to a different coach.”

In the meantime, the back-and-forth made the Jets’ matchup in Denver in Week 5 on Oct. 8 a bit juicier. Payton acknowledged Friday his feedback “definitely will convey extra curiosity to the sport after we play them, however that looks as if years from now.”