New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers and New York Giants defensive lineman Jihad Ward recently had the sort of on-field altercation that occurs regularly in the heat of battle.
But Rodgers, whose Jets are the focus of the HBO series “Hard Knocks,” was wearing a live mic during the dust-up. Which means it consequently garnered a lot of traction and analysis online.
Origins of the Aaron Rodgers/Jihad Ward Feud
As you’ll see in the below clip (if you haven’t seen it already), the interaction was fairly innocuous by football standards. Ward, a second-round pick of the Raiders in 2016, gave Rodgers a little shoulder-tap a few ticks after the QB got rid of the ball.
Something Gang Green’s star QB took umbrage with.
Oh boy. Aaron Rodgers to #Giants' Jihad Ward after he got hit late: "Show some respect. I don't even know who you are."
Rodgers then throws a TD pass and looks for Ward: "Don't poke the bear."
TRASH TALK AARON RODGERS.pic.twitter.com/csIoRPtSD7
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) August 30, 2023
Rodgers didn’t mince words in his reaction, shoving Ward back and letting the big D-Lineman know exactly what he thought.
“That’s bulls**t, bro. What the f**k is that? Show some respect, bro,” Rodgers told Ward. “Come on, what the f**k is that, five damn steps? I don’t even know who you are, bro!”
Ward’s comeback was dubious, telling Rodgers he wasn’t familiar with him either. Rodgers is a four-time NFL MVP and one of the most prolific signal-callers of all time. If Ward isn’t familiar with him, he’s probably in the wrong line of work.
Rodgers got the last on-field laugh, slinging a 14-yard touchdown to Garrett Wilson in his Jets debut and letting Ward hear about it afterward.
“Don’t poke the bear, bro! I never heard of you!”
Ward Responds to Rodgers
Ward expressed displeasure with the way he was portrayed on Hard Knocks in a Wednesday interview with ESPN’s Jordan Raanan.
Ward explained that he and his Giants teammates were upset about a block Jets wide receiver Randall Cobb delivered to Giants safety Bobby McCain, resulting in a concussion for the latter.
He was angered further when he saw Rodgers and Cobb laughing together shortly after in the huddle, a reaction he presumed to be related to his teammate’s injury. Something he felt like Hard Knocks showrunners may have glossed over to glorify Rodgers.
Jihad Ward spoke candidly today about this: “They’re going to show his part and make me look like a sucker. But I ain’t going for that”
Ward was frustrated by the Randall Cobb illegal hit and he was sticking up for his teammates. He didn't like how Jets were "laughing" about it https://t.co/Vcg8Q1Ebje
— Charlotte Carroll (@charlottecrrll) August 30, 2023
“See, the thing is, they’re going to entertain. They’re going to show his part — HBO, whatever stuff is going on, Hard Knocks. They’re going to show his part. They weren’t even in the whole scenario of what really went down.
“They’re going to show his side of the story. It’s all about Aaron Rodgers at the [end] of the day. They sign him; it is what it is. They’re going to show his part and make me look like a sucker. But I ain’t going for that.”
Rodgers Claps Back
Rodgers was presented with Ward’s explanation recently and sounded predictably nonplussed, per Pro Football Talk.
“So, he thought we were laughing at his teammate?” Rodgers said, via Brian Costello of the New York Post. “That never happened, and I think he’s making s**t up.”
#Jets QB Aaron Rodgers on Jihad Ward saying Rodgers & his teammates were laughing & joking after the Randall Cobb block: “I think he’s making shit up.” https://t.co/yr5IkozLQm
— Connor Hughes (@Connor_J_Hughes) August 31, 2023
Rodgers had previously explained that he was instead playfully chastising Cobb for garnering a penalty on the prior drive for his illegal blindside block on McCain, stating that the 13-year pro should know better.
He reportedly said he and his teammates were poking fun at Cobb in the huddle “because that wasn’t a penalty when we started playing. It has been a penalty for a while. So, not the smartest play.”
Neither side seems very likely to budge in this newfound rivalry. Both are relative newcomers to this longtime intrastate rivalry.
But to the benefit of pigskin enthusiasts everywhere, their budding beef should serve to make the meeting between the Jets and the Giants on Oct. 29 even more hotly contested.
