Sidelined quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been received the Jets’ “Most Inspirational Player” award, as voted on by the other players. “I’ve said it a million times: He loves his teammates, and his teammates love him. He’s so intentional with how he approaches everybody in the building. He’s very thoughtful in the way he does things, and he’s a tremendous human. Aaron is really well deserving of this award,” head coach Robert Salah said.
Not only is Rodgers seen as an “ideal” teammate, but his expedited return from a torn Achilles served as motivation for the rest of the team. While Rodgers would ultimately admit he was not ready to play again, his return to practice just two-and-a-half months after undergoing surgery to repair his torn Achilles was nothing short of miraculous. Despite this, Rodgers maintained that he would return to play for the team if they were still playoff contenders.
However, not everyone loves Rodgers. Jimmy Kimmel has warned Rodgers that he could pursue legal action against the sidelined quarterback after Rodgers made comments tying Kimmel to Jeffrey Epstein. During his weekly appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Rodgers specifically named Kimmel as someone who “doesn’t want” a now-partially list of names previously redacted in a civil suit filed before Epstein’s death to be made public. The purported list contains around 150 names of people allegedly associated with Epstein and his sex crimes. However, it was not a comment that Kimmel took lightly.
“For the record, I’ve not met, flown with, visited, or had any contact whatsoever with Epstein, nor will you find my name on any ‘list’ other than the clearly-phony nonsense that soft-brained wackos like yourself can’t seem to distinguish from reality. Your reckless words put my family in danger. Keep it up and we will debate the facts further in court,” Kimmel wrote on X. Neither Rodgers nor ESPN have commented on the quarterback’s claims. However, Pat McAfee did offer an apology the day after Rodgers’ comments.
If there was one thing that people have seemingly anticipated in 2024, it’s the unveiling of the Jeffrey Epstein list, though it’s already caused a rift between NFL star Aaron Rodgers of the New York Jets and late-night-talk show host Jimmy Kimmel. The two haven’t necessarily seen eye-to-eye. This is largely due to Rodgers’ often right-leaning views and conspiratorial takes. However, things took a turn for the worse on Tuesday. Rodgers appeared on The Pat McAfee Show where the topic of the Epstein list came up. But while discussing the laundry list of high-profile names attached to the disgraced late financier, Rodgers insinuated that Jimmy Kimmel may have been associated with Epstein. Ultimately, Kimmel threatened to take legal action against the NFL star. In the wake of their back-and-forth, we’re diving into the timeline of their beef.
After Rodgers tested positive for COVID-19, it was revealed that he actually misled the public surrounding his vaccination status. Apparently, Rodgers wasn’t entirely truthful when he stated that he was “immunized.” Additionally, he also revealed that he preferred homeopathic treatment.
“We should have known because nothing says ‘I heal myself with crystals like this haircut. I mean, a little not on top,’” Kimmel said on Jimmy Kimmel Live. In the same segment, he referred to Rodgers as a “Karen” before going in on Rodgers’ supposed immunization. “The only thing worse than not getting vaccinated when you’re in close proximity with other people is letting them think you’re vaccinated when you’re not,” Kimmel said. “It’s basically the COVID equivalent of ‘The condom fell off.’”
Aaron Rodgers Vs. Woke Mob
Within the same month, Rodgers continued to push anti-vaccination theories. He even went as far as saying that he got medical advice from Joe Rogan, who reportedly suggested that he use Ivermectin. Rodgers’ comments on The Pat McAfee Show rattled the internet, and his attack on the “woke mob” and “cancel culture” further aggravated people. He later compared himself to Martin Luther King Jr. through his efforts to push back against the NFL’s regulations surrounding COVID-19.
“You didn’t object. You pretended you were vaccinated and snuck around,” Jimmy Kimmel responded on his show. “Always a good move for a white millionaire to half-quote Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., by the way.” Kimmel also compared Rodgers to Kyrie Irving, another athlete who questioned COVID-19 protocols. “That’s not fair. Kyrie Irving is wrong, but at least he’s honest,” Kimmel said. “Aaron Rodgers let everyone around him think he was vaccinated. He’s not Kyrie Irving, he’s Bernie Madoff.”
During an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Aaron Rodgers discussed UFOs and the growing interest in extraterrestrials. Rodgers believed it might be some sort of distraction from the Epstein list. “There’s some files that have some names on it that might be getting released pretty soon,” Rodgers said. “(Ghislaine) Maxwell was the only person ever convicted of trafficking, and nobody who was involved in the trafficking ever went to jail, so nothing to see here.”
It didn’t take long for Kimmel to fire back at Rodgers. He not only referred to him as a messenger for the tin-foil hatters but also described him as a “Green Bay wack Packer.” “It might be time to revisit that concussion protocol, Aaron,” Kimmel said.
However, this comment swiftly led some to believe that Kimmel could be trying to downplay this supposed list. Rodgers’s former teammate David Bakhtiari initially alluded to an alleged link between Kimmel and Epstein shortly after. “Tell me you’re on the Jeffrey Epstein client list, without telling me you’re on the Jeffrey Epstein client list,” Bakhtiari wrote. Bakhtiari’s unsubstantiated comment was later echoed by Rodgers on The Pat McAfee Show.
Aaron Rodgers Fires Back At Kimmel
NEW: Quarterback Aaron Rodgers says he will pop “some sort of bottle” when the Epstein associates list is released and suggests Jimmy Kimmel will be named.
Everyone is excited
“There’s a lot of people, including Jimmy Kimmel are really hoping that doesn’t come out.”
As people continue to anticipate the unveiling of the supposed Epstein list, Rodgers, once again, revisited the topic on The Pat McAfee Show on Jan. 2nd. However, he insinuated that we might see Jimmy Kimmel appear on the list, too. “That’s supposed to be coming out soon,” Rodgers said. “There are a lot of people, including Jimmy Kimmel, that are really hoping that doesn’t come out.” While McAfee stated that Rodgers hasn’t let go of Kimmel’s comments, Rodgers revealed that celebrations might be in order when the list emerges. “I’ll let you what, if that list comes out, I will definitely popping some sort of bottle,” Rodgers concluded.
Jimmy Kimmel Threatens Legal Action
Dear Aasshole: for the record, I’ve not met, flown with, visited, or had any contact whatsoever with Epstein, nor will you find my name on any “list” other than the clearly-phony nonsense that soft-brained wackos like yourself can’t seem to distinguish from reality. Your reckless… https://t.co/p8eug12uiS
We’re sure that Jimmy Kimmel hoped that he’d be able to ease into the new year but his first tweet of 2024 came in the form of a response to Rodgers. Due to the weight of Rodgers’s comments, Kimmel stated that he wouldn’t shy away from taking legal action if he continued. “Dear A—hole: for the record, I’ve not met, flown with, visited, or had any contact whatsoever with Epstein, nor will you find my name on any ‘list’ other than the clearly-phony nonsense that soft-brained wackos like yourself can’t seem to distinguish from reality,” Kimmel tweeted. “Your reckless words put my family in danger. Keep it up and we will debate the facts further in court @AaronRodgers12.”
While we could imagine that Rodgers plans to remain mum on the topic, Pat McAfee came through with an apology for Jimmy Kimmel. During his monologue on Wednesday’s episode, he acknowledged the harm that came with Rodgers’ statements. “Some things obviously people get very pissed off about, especially when they’re that serious allegations,” McAfee said. “So we apologize for being a part of it. I can’t wait to hear what Aaron [Rodgers] has to say about it. Hopefully those two will just be able to settle this, you know, not work wise but be able to chit chat and move along.”
He added, “I can understand why Jimmy got incredibly upset, yeah, I definitely completely understand that, especially with his position, but also I think Aaron is like, ‘hey, this guy has said some stuff about me in his monologue’ and he’s just trying to shit talk.”
Jimmy Kimmel has warned Aaron Rodgers that he could pursue legal action against the sidelined quarterback after Rodgers made comments tying Kimmel to Jeffrey Epstein. During his weekly appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Rodgers specifically named Kimmel as someone who “doesn’t want” a soon-to-be-released list of names previously redacted in a civil suit filed before Epstein’s death to be made public. The purported list contains around 150 names of people allegedly associated with Epstein and his sex crimes. However, it was not a comment that Kimmel took lightly.
“For the record, I’ve not met, flown with, visited, or had any contact whatsoever with Epstein, nor will you find my name on any ‘list’ other than the clearly-phony nonsense that soft-brained wackos like yourself can’t seem to distinguish from reality. Your reckless words put my family in danger. Keep it up and we will debate the facts further in court,” Kimmel wrote on X. Neither Rodgers nor ESPN have commented on the quarterback’s claims.
Kimmel-Rodgers Feud Reignites In Headache For Disney
Dear Aasshole: for the record, I’ve not met, flown with, visited, or had any contact whatsoever with Epstein, nor will you find my name on any “list” other than the clearly-phony nonsense that soft-brained wackos like yourself can’t seem to distinguish from reality. Your reckless… https://t.co/p8eug12uiS
Jimmy Kimmel and Aaron Rodgers have never been on good terms. Rodgers’ anti-vax stance, as well as his views on things such as UFOs, have previously been a source of mockery on Kimmel’s late-night show. In March 2023, Kimmel called Rodgers a “Green Bay Whack Packer” after Rodgers suggested that the recent declassifying of UFO-related documents was an attempt to distract people from the potential of the “Epstein List”. Despite this, their feud has never been as serious as it is now.
However, the issue also creates a major headache for Disney. Rodgers made his comments on ESPN. What’s more, while ESPN does not pay Rodgers to appear, Pat McAfee, an ESPN employee, does pay Rodgers an appearance fee. Meanwhile, Kimmel’s late-night show airs on ABC. Both ABC and ESPN are Disney subsidiaries, creating an in-house nightmare now that the two broadcasters are seemingly butting heads. This remains a developing story and we’ll have any updates as and when they emerge.
Aaron Rodgers has addressed critics going after the fact that despite no intention to play this season, he was activated off IR and thus filled a roster spot for the Jets. “I assumed I was going to go on IR. I asked to be put on IR, but then there was a conversation. ‘Do you want to practice?’ I said not at the expense of somebody getting cut. I know how this works – I didn’t feel like I needed to practice to continue my rehab. I could do on-the-field stuff on the side, but, obviously, I got overruled there. It is what it is. This was an interesting situation,” Rodgers told The Pat McAfee Show this week.
Rodgers was activated on December 20, when his 21-day practice window closed. If he had been kept on IR, he would not have been able to practice with the team for the rest of the season. Despite having been eliminated from playoff contention and with no plans to feature Rodgers in a game, the Jets moved him to the active roster. This led fullback Nick Bawden to be waived and later signed to the practice squad.
As mentioned, the Jets are now officially eliminated from playoff contention, which had been Rodgers’ primary condition for returning. However, with six wins, the Jets are not in contention for the first-overall pick. At the time of writing, the Jets are projected to have the ninth-overall pick, which many experts believe they will use to pick a young receiver.
However, the biggest question remains at the quarterback role. Rodgers is expected to be QB1 come the start of the 2024 season. However, coming off a season-ending injury and now in his 40s, Rodgers is not the long-term solution in New York. Meanwhile, Zach Wilson has consistently shown that he is not the player that the Jets were hoping he would become. The question that needs to be answered sooner rather than later. But for now, the Jets have two more games to play, facing the Browns and Patriots to close out the season.
The New York Jets season has been heartbreaking, to say the least. This was going to be the year that the bottom feeders would rise to the cream of the crop of the AFC. That effectively came to a crashing end after their first series of the 2023-2024 campaign. A reinvigorated Aaron Rodgers was at the helm. However, that lasted for roughly a minute before going down with a torn achilles.
It stunned the NFL world, the Jets organization, and the team’s fans across the world. Throughout the early part of their schedule, they were able to stay afloat with backup Zach Wilson. But, predictably, that did not last long. Now, the Jets are officially out of the playoff race after getting shut out by their division rival, the Miami Dolphins.
It Is For The Best That Aaron Rodgers Recovers Fully
Rodgers still worked hard to get back as soon as possible. He was making remarkable progress. However, no matter how many times he felt good that he could return, expectations were lofty at best.With the Jets season over, Rodgers has concluded that he is going to wait until next year to suit up. According to TMZ Sports, the California product joined his close friend Pat McAfee on his ESPN show to announce he is out for good. He stated that he is still about 3-4 weeks away from being 100 percent. However, if the quarterback was ready now, he felt strongly about playing. “If I was 100 percent today, I’d be pushing to play.” New York is 5-9 and faces the Washington Commanders at home on Christmas Eve.
What are your initial thoughts on this breaking news that Aaron Rodgers is officially ending his season after tearing his achilles? Do you think he would have been making the wrong decision if he were to return? How much do you believe this will affect Rodgers next season, especially with even more pressure to win now? We would like to hear what you have to say about all of this. With that in mind, be sure to leave all of your hottest takes in the comments section below. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest breaking news around Aaron Rodgers. Finally, stay with us for everything else going on around the sports world.
The Jets have heaped praise on Aaron Rodgers for his recovery from Achilles surgery. “It’s a credit to him, especially in this day and age where a hangnail can affect a game week. But this dude is grinding to try to get himself back. It just shows how much he cares, and I have an appreciation for him,” head coach Robert Saleh said this week.
“It’s definitely impressive seeing him out there and the progress he’s made in such a short time. I mean, he’s special. The mindset, the way he goes about his treatment — all of a sudden, you find yourself back, ready to play here pretty soon. It’s crazy,” added wide receiver Garrett Wilson.
EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY – DECEMBER 10: Aaron Rodgers #8 of the New York Jets on the field after a win over the Houston Texans at MetLife Stadium on December 10, 2023 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
However, Rodgers’ return depends on whether the Jets can still make the playoffs. “I don’t think that would make a ton of sense. A comeback this year before the four-month mark would mean I’m not 100 percent healthy, so it’d be a risk for myself. For the team to sign off on if we’re out of it, I’d be surprised if they would OK that to come back,” Rodgers noted last month. Per ESPN, the 5-8 Jets have a less than 1% chance to make the playoffs. They play the division-leading Dolphins this weekend.
Furthermore, the Jets don’t have the easiest schedule before Rodgers’ preferred return. Their slate includes games against the surging Texans and the division-leading Dolphins. However, not everyone is a fan of Rodgers’ decision to try and return this season. Chad Johnson pleaded with him to focus on recovery. Meanwhile, Stephen A. Smith told the QB to “sit your a– at home.” Despite this, Rodgers appears set on at least entertaining the possibility of an unprecedented recovery.
Aaron Rodgers is someone who was supposed to save the New York Jets franchise. However, that is not what ended up happening. Instead, the Jets have had a pretty miserable season with no solid QB play. Overall, this is all thanks to Rodgers injuring his Achilles in his first drive as a Jet. It was a horrific play that pretty much had everyone cringing. Of course, Achilles is a difficult injury to come back from, and most people were writing him off completely. After all, it takes up to a year to recover.
However, Rodgers has been trying to experiment with alternative forms of treatment. He got a fairly rare surgery and his hope was to come back before the end of the year. Most were looking at him as crazy, however, he has largely proven people to be wrong. For instance, he was recently cleared for practice. Furthermore, we now have an update from TMZ Sports that feels truly shocking. Essentially, he could be coming back to play for the Jets as soon as Christmas Eve.
EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY – AUGUST 26: Aaron Rodgers #8 of the New York Jets reacts after throwing a first quarter touchdown pass to Garrett Wilson #17 in a preseason game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium on August 26, 2023 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
This would take place during Week 16 which means there would be three games left in the season. Moreover, this match is against the Washington Commanders. Overall, it is up to the coaches as to whether he will step on that field. One has to figure the team will throw him out there if they believe there is a chance they make the playoffs. If not, then it is a strong possibility that they just bench him until next season.
Let us know what you think the Jets should do, in the comments section below. Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news from around the sports world. We will always be sure to keep you informed.
Aaron Rodgers has publicly criticized the New York Jets for a number of locker room leaks that appeared to villainize benched quarterback Zach Wilson. “That’s a problem with the organization. We need to get to the bottom of whatever this is coming from and put a stop to it privately, because there’s no place in a winning culture where — and this isn’t the only time. There’s been a bunch of other leaks,” Rodgers told The Pat McAfee Show.
The leaks in question stemmed from an article published by The Athletic. Anonymous locker room sources had told the outlet that Wilson appeared “reluctant” to resume QB1 duties with the Jets all but eliminated from playoff contention. These sources speculated that, much like a college player sitting out a bowl game, Wilson is wary of getting injured before he likely joins a new team next season. Rodgers questioned why someone within the Jets organization would want to “assassinate someone’s character like that report does for Zach”. Furthermore, Rodgers called the rumors “chicken sh-t at its core”.
The Athletic report stemmed from the fact that the Jets cut Tim Boyle, their starter of the past two games, this week. Signing Brett Rypien from the Seahawks practice squad, the team could be in line to start their fourth quarterback of the season this weekend. Wilson, benched two weeks ago, is back in consideration for another start. However, the team also has veteran options with Rypien and the previous week’s QB2, Trevor Siemian.
At 4-8, the Jets have now lost their last five games, completely squandering their surprising 4-3 start to the season. While they cannot be completely eliminated from playoff contention this week, falling to 4-9 would all but end their season. Furthermore, they must overcome a surging Houston Texans team that has won four of their last five games. After starting 2-3, the Texans are now jostling for position in the playoff race. Jets head coach Robert Salah is expected to announce the team’s starting QB later today.
Aaron Rodgers argued that he could return earlier than Christmas Eve if his recovery continues to go well. “Anything is possible. It feels great to be on the practice field, but I’m not anywhere near ready to play,” Rodgers told reporters on Thursday. The veteran QB was cleared for limited practice on Wednesday, giving the Jets 21 days to activate him from injured reserve. Rodgers will wait until next week to try practicing on back-to-back days. Furthermore, Rodgers will turn 40 this weekend.
For the time being, Tim Boyle will remain the Jets starter. “Yeah, we’re giving Timmy another shot to roll next week. Obviously, there are things that he could’ve done better. There are things he had no control over, and I know he battled out there, and we were able to get to certain calls that we were hoping to do. We were able to execute a lot of the different things that we wanted to execute. It just didn’t come to full fruition,” head coach Robert Saleh told reporters.
However, Rodgers reiterated that his return depends on whether the Jets can still make the playoffs. “I don’t think that would make a ton of sense. A comeback this year before the four-month mark would mean I’m not 100 percent healthy, so it’d be a risk for myself. For the team to sign off on if we’re out of it, I’d be surprised if they would OK that to come back,” Rodgers noted. Per ESPN, the 4-7 Jets have a less than 1% chance to make the playoffs. While a loss to Atlanta on Sunday wouldn’t eliminate, it would put the team one loss away from elimination.
Furthermore, the Jets don’t have the easiest schedule before Rodgers’ preferred return. Their slate includes games against the surging Texans and the division-leading Dolphins. However, not everyone is a fan of Rodgers’ decision to try and return this season. Chad Johnson pleaded with him to focus on recovery. Meanwhile, Stephen A. Smith told the QB to “sit your a– at home.” Despite this, Rodgers appears set on at least entertaining the possibility of an unprecedented recovery.
Aaron Rodgers will begin practicing with the Jets this week, just 11 weeks after undergoing Achilles surgery. The decision means that the Jets now have 21 days to active Rodgers from injured reserve. If they don’t, he will have to remain on injured reserve for the rest of the season. That deadline has been set as December 20. Four days later, the Jets play the Commanders in a game that Rodgers has publicly earmarked as his preferred return.
However, Rodgers also told The Pat McAfee Show this week that his return is not set in stone. Playing with the Jets again this season will depend on the continued progress of his recovery and the Jets’ standing in the playoff race. The Jets are currently 4-7 and have lost their last four games. The team, currently holding the second-worst record in the AFC, will need a miracle to make the place. However, their games before Rodgers’ preferred return include matchups against the surging Texans and division-leading Dolphins. A loss to Atlanta this weekend could see the Jets on the doorstep of elimination as early as next week.
Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles 79 days ago. Today, Jets’ HC Robert Saleh said Rodgers has been cleared for “functional football activity”. pic.twitter.com/hN7hkyB6mt
A key piece to keeping the Jets in playoff contention will be their play at quarterback. Zach Wilson remains benched behind Tim Boyle and Trevor Siemian. Furthermore, the Jets have scored just two touchdowns in their last five games – one in their win over the Giants on October 29 and one in their loss to Miami this past weekend. For the time being, Boyle will remain the Jets’ starter. Rodgers’ former Green Bay backup threw for 179 yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions against Miami.
“Yeah, we’re giving Timmy another shot to roll next week. Obviously, there are things that he could’ve done better. There are things he had no control over, and I know he battled out there, and we were able to get to certain calls that we were hoping to do. We were able to execute a lot of the different things that we wanted to execute. It just didn’t come to full fruition,” head coach Robert Saleh told reporters.
