Aaron Rodgers is a longtime foe of the Detroit Lions, mainly from his stint as the franchise quarterback for one of the Lions’ biggest NFC North rivals, the Green Bay Packers. But, it’s a new era, and Rodgers is a member of the New York Jets now. Without that Detroit Lions, Packers rivalry hanging over his head, Rodgers is dropping some truth bombs.
Appearing on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Tuesday, December 4, Rodgers gave his thoughts on the Honolulu Blue.
Jets QB Aaron Rodgers Gushes Over the Detroit Lions
On the show, Rodgers talked up Lions general manager Brad Holmes, head coach Dan Campbell and owner Sheila Ford Hamp for the turnaround they’re experiencing in Detroit. The Lions are true Super Bowl contenders this season. Now, the way Rodgers talks, he almost sounds like he’s jelly of his former foe.
To start, Rodgers reminisced about how when Campbell and Holmes took over in 2022, they started out the season 1-6. But, he added that Ford Hemp still had total faith in her coaching staff.
“Do you remember what the sentiment was from the organization? They said (Brad Holmes) is our GM and Dan (Campbell) is our head coach,” Rodgers stated. “Since that statement was made, they have won a crazy amount of games. They finished the 2022 season on a high at 9-8. They went 12-5 in 2023. They’re 11-1 this year, right? I can tell you, that’s not a coincidence.”
Rodgers added that after that statement happened, in which management buckled down on supporting Holmes and Campbell no matter the record, “you’ve seen this shift.”
“Because that’s the energy that goes around the building,” he said, stating that when the head coach, quarterback or GM are in the hot seat and the media is coming at them, the ownership has the choice to stand up to media and any negative feedback and still support their players and coaches.
Rodgers emphasized the importance of ownership not caring “about what your opinion is or what’s going on.”
“‘We believe in Dan Campbell. We believe in the GM. We believe in Jared Goff.’ Whatever the statement was, that goes a long way,” he added.
“To change a culture, to change a program takes time,” Rodgers said. “It takes patience, and a lot of ownership around the league doesn’t have the patience to let that thing go through.”
Aaron Rodgers’ Lions Comments Could Say a Lot About the Jets
So, what do Rodgers’ comments say about his current feelings on the New York Jets? The comments could say a lot.
In a November 4 feature for the New York Post, NFL analyst and expert Ryan Dunleavy says that Rodgers’ kind words for the Lions speak “volumes about the Jets’ disarray.”
Dunleavy also stated that following this season, “Rodgers’ plan is to take ‘a month to get away’ from football” and “decide if he wants to keep playing.” He added that, “By that time, the Jets should have a new head coach and general manager in place.”
The New York Jets are 3-9 heading into Week 14 and behind both the Dolphins and Bills in the AFC East. Meanwhile, the Detroit Lions are 11-1 going into Week 14 and No. 1 in the NFC North before the Packers game on Thursday, December 5.
