Steelers Now
PITTSBURGH — Just as Justin Fields did, Aaron Rodgers downplayed any revenge factor or additional emotion about returning to New York to face the Jets on Sunday.
“I’m just excited it’s Week 1,” Rodgers said.
Rodgers was also mum when asked if he keeps in touch with people from the Jets organization.
“I’m not going to tell you that,” he said.
Rodgers is not afraid to speak his mind, especially when someone crosses him. That was the case with the Jets this offseason when they released the four-time NFL MVP. How the Jets handled the whole situation did not sit well with Rodgers.
On The Pat McAfee Show in April, Rodgers criticized head coach Aaron Glenn and the Jets organization for having him fly cross country on his “own dime” to hear the news that he was no longer wanted.
“I think we’re gonna have this long conversation,” Rodgers said. “I’ve flown across the country. Twenty seconds in … I’m talking to the GM about something and [Glenn] leans to the edge of his seat and goes, ‘So, do you want to play football?’
“And I was like, ‘Yeah, I’m interested.’
“Then he says, ‘We’re going in a different direction at quarterback.’”
Rodgers seems to be locked in with the season opener just days away.
“I’ve been playing 20 years. Yeah, I know how to execute in a game situation,” Rodgers said when asked about not playing any snaps in the preseason.
Rodgers didn’t discount pregame jitters prior to Sunday’s game. Not on a Wednesday, however.
“Not on Wednesday, no,” he said. “I have to have something, otherwise I’m probably in the wrong profession, so I’ll be definitely excited come Sunday, but Wednesday, just kind of going through the week of preparation.”
Alan Saunders contributed reporting from Pittsburgh.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Aaron Rodgers Shuts Down Revenge Game Narrative vs. Jets: ‘I’m Just Excited It’s Week 1’
