Aaron Rodgers has defended Zach Wilson amid a report that the quarterback was hesitant to return to the starting lineup for the Jets.
'I love the child. I spent a lot of time with him. I think he's a great young man… and he's young, he's in his early 20s,” Rodgers said on radio. Pat McAfee Show.
“He's been through a lot of trouble over the last three years, and he has every right to be frustrated and disappointed about it.”
Wilson took over for Rodgers after the future Hall of Famer tore his Achilles tendon in Week 1, but was benched prior to the team's Week 12 matchup with the Dolphins.
However, the Jets have since cut Tim Boyle, who started over Wilson the past two games, and may return Wilson to the starting lineup – although he has been 'reluctant' to take the field again according to The Athletics.
Aaron Rodgers did not defend teammate Zach Wilson on the Pat McAfee show on Tuesday
The New York Jets are reportedly considering returning Wilson to the starting role
Rodgers has now debunked that claim, saying the report tried to “assassinate his character.”
“I'll say this when you have sources, right, and that's always interesting,” he said. “First of all, you can go down a whole rabbit hole of factual sources, made-up sources, why is someone willing to be a source?
'What do they gain from that? But when you use sources, intentionally or unintentionally, and try to assassinate someone's character, as that report for Zach does, I have a very hard time with that.”
“I mean, you're basically saying this kid quit the team, doesn't want to play anymore and has given the middle finger to the organization,” he added.
Aaron Rodgers appeared on the Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday and spoke quite openly
Rodgers also addressed the unnamed sources who spoke to The Athletic, saying the Jets needed to “get to the bottom” of where the leak came from.
“Now if that's journalism, if you're going to use sources… whoever that person thinks it's OK, number one, to talk to someone like that – I don't understand what you get out of that number one,” he said. said.
“But number two, what's your drive, what's your motivation to try to bury someone like that? And that's a problem with the organization, you know, we need to get to the bottom of wherever this is coming from and put a stop to it privately.
“Is that really what you want to talk about?” Do you want to use someone in the media to leak things to so they can publish your name for a job, or if you are a player to get you an article? I think at its core it's goosebumps, and I don't think it belongs in a winning organization.”
Wilson, the second overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, has consistently struggled since entering the league, though he has completed a career-high 59.2 percent of his passes this year.
The Jets are 4-6 this season with Wilson in the starting lineup (and also beat the Bills in Week 1 after he took over for Rodgers), and enter Week 14 with a 4-8 record.
Zach Wilson could quickly return to the starting lineup for the Jets after a brief stint on the bench
However, Rodgers has insisted he could return before the end of the season despite the Jets' playoff hopes fading as the quarterback tries to break the usual timetable for an Achilles injury.
For now, though, Wilson could be the team's starting quarterback again, and Rodgers predicted he will address the team tomorrow.
“We're not going to spend a lot of time on it,” he said. “I guess Zach will probably say something to the team tomorrow. I hope if that's the case, it stays within the team.'
'We have all been part of a team or an organization. There are things that are esoteric in nature. They are intended for a specific group of people. There are conversations that are only intended for certain people and are not allowed to leave the building.
This weekend the Jets face the Texans.