NFL Rumors: Steelers’ Aaron Rodgers Had Issue With Jets Receiver

It’s one-and-done for Aaron Rodgers, who said Tuesday he expects to retire after this season. So the Steelers quarterback will have just one year to work with top wide receiver DK Metcalf. If Rodgers wants to walk off into the sunset a winner, he and Metcalf will have to avoid a problem which reportedly plagued the New York Jets last season.

Rodgers and Jets wideout Garrett Wilson “weren’t exactly the best of friends,” The Athletic’s Zack Rosenblatt reports.

“A relationship that started with promise ended with each taking subtle shots at each other in press conferences,” Rosenblatt wrote Tuesday. “Privately, Rodgers complained about Wilson’s tendency to freelance on routes, and there was frustration from Wilson – and others — about how Rodgers was funneling targets to Davante Adams, shying away from running the ball and ignoring Wilson in the red zone.”

The Jets drafted Wilson with the No. 10 pick overall in the 2022 NFL Draft, expecting him to be the team’s top receiver for years to come.

When the Packers traded Rodgers to the Jets before the 2023 season, fans dreamed of the four-time NFL MVP hitting home run after home run with Wilson. But Rodgers’ initial campaign lasted just four plays before going down with a season-ending Achilles injury.

Those dreams were resurrected last year, with a healthy Rodgers ready to work with Wilson. But things changed when the Jets traded for Davante Adams in October. Adams, a six-time Pro Bowler, knew Rodgers well from their time together in Green Bay and quickly became his go-to guy on the Jets.

Ultimately that plan failed and the Jets finished the season 5-12, triggering a cascade of changes, including cutting ties with both Rodgers and Adams.

Rodgers landed with the Steelers while Adams signed a two-year, $46 million contract with the Los Angeles Rams.

In Pittsburgh, Rodgers figures to lean on Metcalf following his trade from the Seahawks in March. The Steelers doubled down on Metcalf, signing him to a four-year, $132 million contract. And just to ensure a happy locker room, Pittsburgh traded George Pickens, the team’s top receiver last season, to the Dallas Cowboys in May.

As for the Jets, they moved on from Rodgers by signing former Steelers quarterback Justin Fields to a two-year, $40 million contract and returning Wilson to WR1 status.

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