Aaron Rodgers Shares Thoughts on the Broncos’ Russell Wilson Benching
Figures around the NFL have commented on the Denver Broncos‘ benching of Russell Wilson for the final two games. New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers was the latest to share his thoughts on the surprising situation.
The four-time MVP joined the January 2 episode of “The Pat McAfee Show” and offered his honest take on the Broncos’ decision to bench Wilson.
“Look, the NFL is a great profession, it’s a tough business,” Rodgers said during his weekly appearance. “And this type of stuff is more commonplace than you would think. Obviously, we’re talking about a premier player here and some bizarre circumstances.”
Rodgers stated with objectivity that benching Russell “definitely paints the last however many weeks in a way different light” and that “Russ probably wasn’t [Sean Payton’s] first choice.”
Payton and Wilson’s combination was questioned after the team’s defeat to the Detroit Lions in Week 15. For unclear circumstances, cameras captured Payton yelling at his quarterback throughout the game.
The Jets star reminisced playing opposite Wilson’s Seattle Seahawks when he played for the Green Bay Packers.
“Seattle and Green Bay were two of the premier teams in the 2010s especially, and we had some battles over the years. There was a great rivalry and we couldn’t seem to beat him other than in the ‘Fail Mary‘ game in Seattle. They couldn’t beat us in Green Bay,” Rodgers said.
Rodgers gave kudos to Wilson for making the most of a bad situation.
“My heart actually goes out to Russ for dealing with this. Say whatever you want about him, I think he’s handled this pretty well. I definitely applaud him for speaking on it because it’s a tough situation.”
“I think Russell Wilson has handled what happened in Denver pretty well and I applaud him for speaking on it..
While Rodgers spoke about Wilson’s benching, he seemingly fired a passive-aggressive shot at the Broncos head coach.
Based on the remarks made against a close friend of mine and then witnessing this, Rodgers stated, “I think we have more of a common enemy.”
The fact that Payton criticized the Jets and his “close friend,” offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, throughout the summer probably caused the star to get enraged with Payton.
According to an article by Jarrett Bell of USA Today on July 27, Payton placed the whole blame for the Broncos’ 2022 5-12 record on Hackett. After Hackett filled the same position in Green Bay from 2019 to 21, Rodgers and Hackett became friends.
Payton criticized New York in the same piece for “trying to win the offseason” and foreseeing a collapse. The seasoned coach was eventually shown to be correct, but not before shoving Rodgers and
The question of whether Wilson thinks the same of Payton or sees him as a “enemy” will continue to be discussed.
Highlights of the Russell Wilson Trade Dangers of Buying for an Elderly Quarterback
Wilson has learned throughout his time with the Broncos that the grass is not always greener on the other side, and Rodgers should be aware of this.
Week 1 of the 2023 season saw the future Hall of Famer tear his Achilles only four plays in. Following an offseason in which several analysts projected the Jets as a Super Bowl candidate, he suffered an injury that ended his season.
The dangers of an NFL team dealing for an elderly quarterback are exemplified by the deals for Rodgers and Wilson.
Since acquiring Wilson in March 2022, the Broncos have missed the postseason in back-to-back seasons. As of Week 18, New York has gone 6-10 without Rodgers.
In exchange for the opportunity to acquire Wilson, Denver paid a high price in players and draft resources. In his thirty starts, the Broncos only went 11–19 before being benched prior of Week 17.
Rodgers still has time to show that the Jets made the proper trade to get him. Wilson learned the hard way in Denver that Father Time is still unbeaten, so the veteran needs to move quickly.
