Aaron Rodgers is focused on coming back strong next season for the New York Jets. And, he hopes, beyond 2024.
But first, he says changes need to be made at the team headquarters at One Jets Drive.
Rodgers told reporters Monday the team needs to “flush” what he called “bulls—” in order to become a winner next season.
“The bulls— that has nothing to do with winning, needs to get out of the building,” Rodgers said, via the New York Daily News.
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Immediately beforehand, Rodgers teased his forthcoming weekly appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” after he implied on the show last week that comedian Jimmy Kimmel could be named in soon-to-be-released court documents revealing celebrity associates of convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
After Rodgers’ comments went viral, Kimmel responded in a social media post forcefully denying any association with Epstein and threatening to pursue legal action against Rodgers over the comments. Kimmel has not been referenced in any documents related to Epstein’s case that have been publicly released as of midday Monday.
The 40-year-old quarterback also acknowledged Monday he first thought he could be one and done after he was traded to New York last April. But thoughts of staying for multiple seasons were sparked as he began having fun “and kind of falling back in love with the game.”
Then came the torn left Achilles tendon that sabotaged his season — and the Jets’ hopes — just four snaps into his debut.
“And then it gets taken away,” Rodgers said. “So this is not a one-year (thing) in my mind. I mean, obviously, it’s a ‘What have you done for me lately?’ And I’m going to have to go out and prove I can still play at a high level.
“But I’d like this to be more than just next year.”
So do the Jets, who finished 7-10 and missed the playoffs for the 13th consecutive year — the longest active drought among the major North American professional sports leagues.
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“It kind of hit me last night after the game, just feeling like a lost year,” Rodgers said. “And that I missed out on obviously a lot of opportunities, just thinking if I’d had been out there, things would have been a little different.”
Owner Woody Johnson is treating this season as a mulligan of sorts, opting not to part ways with either coach Robert Saleh or general manager Joe Douglas.
Rodgers was viewed by many in the organization going into the season as a missing piece for the Jets to return to respectability — and the playoffs.
Rodgers, Saleh and Douglas will all get the chance to reward Johnson’s patience next season.
“We’re all going to be on the quote-unquote hot seat next year,” Rodgers said. “It’s going to be an important year for all of us and I love that. I mean, I think that’s fantastic. We should approach that every single year — it’s a ‘what have you done for me lately?’ If you have a down year, a bad year, there’s going to be people calling to move on, and especially when you’re 40 years old.
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“So, I’m going to go out there and play as well as I can. And obviously, if I have the season I know that I’m capable of having and we have the success I know we’re capable of having, then all that stuff takes care of itself.”
The four-time NFL MVP made a remarkably fast recovery from his torn Achilles tendon and returned to practice with the team on Nov. 29 and Saleh watched Rodgers “carve us up on the scout team.” But with the Jets knocked out of playoff contention and Rodgers not fully healthy, the focus eventually turned to next season for the quarterback’s return.
“He still has all kinds of juice, energy, arm talent, so I think he’s going to come out with more fire,” Saleh said. “He’s on a mission and he’s not going to stop until his mission’s complete.”
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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