FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers is sticking by his offensive coordinator and firing his hardest throw of the summer season at Sean Payton.
The Jets quarterback was bothered by important feedback Payton, the Denver Broncos’ head coach, not too long ago made about offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. Payton informed USA In the present day 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 stated there have been “20 dirty hands” 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 feel bad that someone who has accomplished a lot in the league is that insecure that they have to take another man down to set themselves up for some sort of easy fall if it doesn’t go well for that team this year,” Rodgers informed NFL Community on Sunday. “I think it was way out of line, inappropriate, and I think he needs to keep my coaches’ names out of his mouth.”
Rodgers, acquired by New York in April from Inexperienced Bay, stated Hackett is “arguably my favorite coach I’ve ever had in the NFL.” The pair was collectively for 2 of Rodgers’ 4 NFL MVP awards in 2020 and 2021 with the Packers.
Throughout the interview with USA In the present day’s Jarrett Bell, Payton additionally criticized the Jets being the newest NFL workforce “trying to win the offseason” — one thing he stated the Broncos beneath Hackett tried to do and have been “embarrassed.”
Jets coach Robert Saleh stated Thursday “Hackett’s doing a phenomenal job here” when requested about Payton’s feedback. He additionally stated the Jets are simply centered on themselves, however acknowledges “there’s a lot of people that are hatin’ on us and a lot of people looking for us to fail.”
Payton on Friday stated he regretted his feedback through which he disparaged Hackett, and stated he would attain out to Hackett and Saleh “at the right time” to take action.
“Listen, I had one of those moments where I still had my Fox hat on and not my coaching hat,” stated Payton, who’s returning to the sideline this season after a yr’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 informed NFL Community he thought Payton’s preliminary feedback “were very surprising, for a coach to do that to another 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 “certainly will bring more interest to the game when we play them, but that seems like years from now.”
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AP Professional Soccer Author Arnie Stapleton in Englewood, Colorado, contributed.
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