Aaron Rodgers blasts Sean Payton for Jets takedown: ‘Keep my coaches’ names out of his mouth’
Robert Saleh took the high road, choosing to mostly let Sean Payton’s criticism of the Jets slide.
Aaron Rodgers wasn’t willing to follow the example set by his new coach.
The Jets’ new quarterback went on the attack in an interview with NFL+ after Sunday’s practice, calling the Broncos new coach “insecure” while coming to the aid of offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett.
“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 said. “I think it was way out of line, inappropriate, and I think he needs to keep my coaches’ names out of his mouth.”
In a story in USA Today last week, Payton went after Hackett’s 15-game stint as the Broncos head coach, calling it “one of the worst coaching jobs in the history of the NFL.”″
Denver was 4-11 at the time of his dismissal, near the end of by far the worst season of quarterback Russell Wilson’s career.
Payton also identified the Jets as the latest NFL team “trying to win the offseason,” suggesting they took a shortcut and are more hype than substance.
“It doesn’t happen often where an NFL team or organization gets embarrassed,” Payton said. “And that happened here [with the Broncos]. Part of it was their own fault, relative to spending so much [expletive] time trying to win the offseason — the PR, the pomp and circumstance, marching people around and all this stuff.
“We’re not doing any of that. The Jets did that this year. You watch. ‘Hard Knocks,’ all of it. I can see it coming.”
The two teams meet Oct. 8 in Denver, a game that suddenly will have plenty of build-up.
Asked previously about Payton’s comments, Saleh opted not to go on the offensive.
He defended the job that Hackett has done so far.
“I kind of live by the saying, ‘If you ain’t got no haters, you ain’t popping,’” Saleh said. “So hate away. Obviously, we’re doing something right if you’ve got to talk about us when we don’t play you until [Week 5].”
One other Jet had taken a shot at Payton through social media.
Offensive tackle Billy Turner, who played for Hackett with the Packers from 2019-21 and again with the Broncos last year, wrote in an Instagram story that Payton must not have liked what he had seen so far from the Broncos.
“Seems like someone started training camp and is trying to soften the blow after realizing what he’s in for this season,” Turner wrote. “[Expletive] bum. #BountyGate #childish.”
Randall Cobb, who played for Hackett and with Rodgers, also ripped into Payton last week. “As a man, I think it’s pretty soft,” he said on ESPN Radio, referring to Payton as the “Bountygate coach.”
Rodgers obviously has strong feelings for the 43-year-old Hackett, dating back to their days with the Packers.
Rodgers won two of his four MVP trophies with Hackett, and the Jets’ decision to hire the coordinator played a role in Rodgers’ desire to wear this latest shade of green.
“We had some great years together in Green Bay,” Rodgers said. “[We] kept in touch. Love him and his family. He’s an incredible family man and an incredible dad. And on the field, he’s arguably my favorite coach I’ve ever had in the NFL. Just his approach to it. He makes it fun, how he cares about the guys, just how he goes about his business with respect, with leadership, with honesty, with integrity.”
Payton has since apologized for the comments, saying that he was thinking as a television analyst and not a coach.
He worked for Fox Sports last year.
That, however, didn’t stop Rodgers from letting him have it, and it likely won’t prevent the Jets from using his criticism to get fired up in October.
