Aaron Rodgers couldn’t lead his team to a win against the Buffalo Bills last Monday. However, after the game, the quarterback highlighted the tactical error by his wide receiver Mike Williams that led to an interception during the dying minutes of the game.
Now former NFL quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick called out the New York Jets QB after A-Rod’s appearance on ESPN.
Ryan Fitzpatrick Criticizes Aaron Rodgers for Dereliction of Leadership Duties
On Tuesday, Rodgers appeared on the Pat McAfee Show, the host wanted to know the QB’s reaction to the backlash he had been receiving. Rodgers highlighted that he was asked a question about the last play at the press conference and had no intention of singling out Williams.
“I wasn’t calling Mike out for anything other than his responsibility and the details in that play,” said the Super Bowl XLV champion. “I have a lot of love and respect for Mike.” However, Fitzpatrick was still not satisfied with Rodgers’ response and took to X (formerly Twitter) to air his grievances.
“This response is the biggest thing I don’t understand about Aaron….can be super charismatic, his swagger gives teammates the ultimate confidence BUT why can’t he shoulder ALL the blame in the media and then get behind closed doors with Mike Williams or the whole offense or the whole team or anyone else that isn’t doing their job and tell them he needs more out of them,” wrote Fitzpatrick in a lengthy post.
This response is the biggest thing I don’t understand about Aaron….can be super charismatic, his swagger gives teammates the ultimate confidence BUT
why can’t he shoulder ALL the blame in the media and then get behind closed doors with Mike Williams or the whole offense or the… pic.twitter.com/JyEhoX1DVP
— Ryan Fitzpatrick (@FitzMagic_14) October 15, 2024
The former-QB-turned-analyst highlighted that Rodgers doubling down on his words at the press conference hurts him.
What Did Aaron Rodgers Say About Mike Williams After the Jets’ Loss to the Bills?
With only two minutes left on the clock, the Jets were three points behind the Bills. On third-and-16, Rodgers threw a pass toward Williams after dodging incoming pressure. However, Williams could not catch the ball, and Bills CB Taron Johnson intercepted the pass.
TARON JOHNSON PICKS RODGERS.
📺: #BUFvsNYJ on ESPN/ABC
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/oQMZtfCNVr— NFL (@NFL) October 15, 2024
After the game, Rodgers stated the entire nature of the play and how Williams was at fault for running the wrong route. “It’s two vertical [routes],” said Rodgers. “Allen [Lazard] is down the seam and Mike is down the red line. I’m looking at Allen, he puts his hand up and three guys go with him. So I’m throwing a no-look to the red line. And when I peek my eyes back there, [Williams] is running an in-breaker. He’s got to be on the red line.”
The Jets are 2-4 after six weeks of action and must overcome this misunderstanding to fight for a playoff spot. They’ll face the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 7 on the road.