When the New York Jets originally acquired Aaron Rodgers in a trade with the Green Bay Packers, it was a move that many thought would make the franchise a contender once again. Unfortunately, that expectation never materialized.
On the first possession of his first season with the Jets, Rodgers went down with a torn Achilles. He missed the entire season. In 2024, he played well, but the team as a whole struggled.
Early on in his tenure with New York, Rodgers spoke out with a lot of praise for young wide receiver Garrett Wilson. Everyone expected the two to do special things together.
While the connection between Rodgers and Wilson looked promising, that didn't reach expectations either. In fact, a new report shed some light on some of the issues the Jets dealt with.
According to a report from Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic, Rodgers and Wilson were feuding at the end of their tenure together.
"By the end of last season, Wilson and Rodgers weren't exactly the best of friends. A relationship that started with promise ended with each taking subtle shots at each other in press conferences. Privately, Rodgers complained about Wilson's tendency to freelance on routes, and there was frustration from Wilson — and others — about how Rodgers was funneling targets to Davante Adams, shying away from running the ball and ignoring Wilson in the red zone," Rosenblatt said.
It was clear that there were issues within the New York locker room. The team never looked close to being on the same page, especially on the offensive side of the football.
Wilson is now set to reunite with his former college quarterback, Justin Fields, during the upcoming 2025 season. He will look to get his career back on track after a two-year tenure that saw him put up numbers but never reach his full potential.
During the 2024 NFL season alongside Rodgers, Wilson racked up 101 receptions for 1,104 yards and seven touchdowns. He was still productive even with the rift that had formed between himself and Rodgers.
Now that Rodgers is with the Pittsburgh Steelers, it will be interesting to see what the two players are able to accomplish part from each other. It's a shame that things ended the way they did with the Jets, but these reports add more context to last year's disappointment.
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