New York Jets star quarterback Aaron Rodgers is standing up for the team’s offensive co-ordinator, Nathaniel Hackett, after he was the target of criticism from new Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton earlier this week.
“Yeah, I love Nathaniel Hackett, and those comments were very surprising, for a coach to do that to another coach,” Rodgers said in an appearance on NFL Network on Sunday.
“I thought it was way out of line, inappropriate, and I think he needs to keep my coaches’ names out of his mouth,” Rodgers added.
Payton, in an interview with USA Today last week, criticized his predecessor, Hackett, and the old Broncos staff, saying there were “20 dirty hands” around quarterback Russell Wilson’s career-worst season last year.
A day after the interview, Payton said he regretted the comments.
Rodgers has a history with Hackett as the latter was offensive co-ordinator of the Green Bay Packers from 2019-21. Rodgers was traded to the Jets this year, about three months after New York hired Hackett.
“It made me feel that bad that someone (Payton) who’s 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.
In the interview with USA Today, Payton also took potshots at the Jets, who hired Hackett as their offensive coordinator this year, and criticized Broncos general manager George Paton and team President Damani Leech for allowing Hackett and his staff to give Wilson so much free rein, including having his personal quarterback coach with him at team headquarters.
Payton didn’t specifically apologize for his critical comments but he did say he’ll reach out to Hackett and Jets head coach Robert Saleh “at the right time” to do so.
The Broncos host the Jets on Oct. 8, and the row he started “certainly will bring more interest to the game when we play them,” Payton said. “But that seems like years from now.”
Hackett began his NFL career as offensive co-ordinator to coach Doug Marrone on a Buffalo Bills team that struggled on offence for most of 2013 and ’14.
Hackett then joined Marrone with the Jacksonville Jaguars for the following three seasons.
Payton, the longtime New Orleans Saints coach, was lured out of retirement by the Broncos this year.
– With files from AP
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