Aaron Rodgers is a controversial figure, to say the least. Opinions are divided on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ new quarterback. He’s not afraid to speak his mind, and that has drawn the ire of some in the past. His time being in the spotlight with the New York Jets likely didn’t help that. Rodgers’ two years with Jets went terribly and he received a lot of the blame for their failures. However, Jets running back Breece Hall thinks Rodgers is unjustly criticized.
“Very misunderstood person,” Hall said recently on the Get Got Pod with Marshawn Lynch. “Great dude. Comes off to people a certain way, but once you really get to know him, you realize how good of a person he is. Last year, when you’re losing games, the blame gets put on the faces of the team.
“It just so happened to be guys like me, Sauce [Gardner], Garrett [Wilson], Aaron [Rodgers], Quinnen [Williams], and Quincy [Williams]. When you’re losing, somebody has to get let go, but what people don’t realize is when stuff is crazy organizationally, then it’s hard for players to have stability and win games… I love Aaron. Me and him still have a great relationship to this day. That’s my guy.”
Not everyone likes Rodgers. However, many of his former teammates have nothing but nice things to say about him. That includes his time with the Jets and the Green Bay Packers. Some people might be worried about him disrupting the Steelers’ locker room, but it doesn’t seem like that’s going to be an issue, with many players already speaking out in support of him.
However, Rodgers hasn’t gotten along with everyone. Recent reports indicate that the relationship between he and Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson fractured near the end of last year. Rodgers was allegedly disgruntled with Wilson and didn’t look his way as often on the field. That’s probably part of the reason why the Jets only won five games last season.
While New York struggled last year, Hall doesn’t blame Rodgers for that. It seems more like he blames the Jets’ overall dysfunction as an organization. They fired their head coach five weeks into the season, so that likely contributed to the chaos.
That shouldn’t be a problem with the Steelers. If there’s one thing their organization is good at, it’s stability. Mike Tomlin has been their head coach since 2007, and it doesn’t sound like he’s going anywhere anytime soon. Perhaps a more stable environment will better allow Rodgers to succeed.
He’ll get to face his old team in Week 1, too. While Hall is still close with Rodgers, there still might be a lot of drama involved in that game. Justin Fields is slated to be New York’s starting quarterback. Also, Rodgers might have a bone to pick with Aaron Glenn, the Jets’ new head coach. Rodgers could prove that the Jets made a mistake letting him go. It should be an exciting way to kick off his tenure with the Steelers.
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