Aaron Rodgers fires back at Sean Payton for criticizing Nathaniel Hackett
“I think he needs to keep my coaches’ names out of his mouth,” Rodgers said of Payton.
Payton, the former New Orleans Saints coach who returned to the profession after working for Fox last season, later said he regretted that Hackett’s performance “may have been one of the worst coaching jobs in NFL history.” It was that bad.”
On Friday, Payton was in clean-up mode. “Listen, I had one of those moments where I still had my Fox cap on and not my trainer cap,” he apologized.
Payton hardly needed to mention that Hackett’s tenure was a mess. Quarterback Russell Wilson, who signed a massive contract, struggled when the offense faltered, leading to Payton slamming the Jets for hiring Hackett while criticizing Broncos general manager George Paton and team president Damani Leech for doing so that they let Hackett and his associates release Wilson the reins. Part of that freedom included allowing Wilson’s personal trainer to be present at team headquarters.
The day after a 51-14 loss to the Los Angeles Rams over Christmas, Hackett was fired. He landed with the Jets on Jan. 28, and the spring also included the offensive coordinator with whom Rodgers developed a personal and professional relationship from 2019-2021 in Green Bay.
“My love for hack runs deep; You know, we had some great years together in Green Bay,” Rodgers said. “[We] keep in touch, love him and his family; He’s an incredible family man and an incredible father. And on the field, he’s probably my favorite coach I’ve ever had in the NFL. Just his approach – he enjoys how he takes care of the boys, how he runs his business with respect, leadership, honesty and integrity.”
The Jets and Broncos meet in Denver in Week 5 and Rodgers fired a dart of his own at Payton, who won a Super Bowl with New Orleans.
“It made me feel bad that someone who’s achieved a lot in the league would be so unsettled that if things don’t go well for the team this year, they’ll have to knock out another man to prepare for a slight fall .” he said.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2023/07/30/aaron-rodgers-sean-payton-nathaniel-hackett/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=wp_homepage Aaron Rodgers fires back at Sean Payton for criticizing Nathaniel Hackett
