Aaron Rodgers joined the Pittsburgh Steelers earlier this month on a one-year, $13.65 million contract that includes $10 million in guarantees and can reach up to $19.5 million with incentives. The move marks his third NFL franchise after spending his first 18 seasons with the Green Bay Packers and the past two years with the New York Jets.
While his Packers tenure will largely be remembered for his four MVPs and leading the team to a Super Bowl XLV championship, his time with the Jets was far less impactful. His first season with the team lasted just four snaps before he suffered a torn Achilles tendon.
Rodgers Returns But Jets Struggle in 2024
Rodgers returned to play all 17 games in the 2024 season at age 40, throwing for 3,897 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions while completing 63% of his passes. While he ranked eighth in passing yards and seventh in passing touchdowns, New York’s season was filled with turmoil as they finished 5-12.
Despite the disappointing team results, Jets running back Breece Hall recently opened up about sharing a locker room with the future Pro Football Hall of Famer, offering a different perspective on the veteran quarterback.
Hall appeared on “Da Get Got Pod” with Marshawn Lynch and Mike Robinson, where he was asked about his time alongside the 10-time Pro Bowler, responding:
“Very misunderstood person. Great dude. Comes off to people a certain way, but once you really get to know him, you realize how good of a person he is. But, last year, you know when you’re losing games, the blame gets put on the faces of the team and it just so happened to be guys like me, Sauce [Gardner], Garrett [Wilson], Aaron, Quinnen [Williams] and Quincy [Williams].
“So, I feel like, when you’re losing, somebody has to get let go, but what people don’t realize is when stuff is crazy organizationally then it’s hard for the players to have stability and win games.
“So, I feel like, you can’t always blame the players because when you’re stressed out mentally, physically and emotionally, it’s hard to show up every Sunday, every Monday, every Thursday. But I love Aaron and me and him still have a great relationship to this day and that’s my guy.”
Individual Performance Amid Team Struggles
Hall had a solid season playing with Rodgers, though his production declined slightly as the Jets’ offense became more pass-focused. He appeared in 16 games, running for 876 yards and five touchdowns on 209 carries while adding 57 receptions for 483 yards and three touchdowns.
His comments reflect the broader organizational challenges that plagued the Jets throughout the season, including the mid-season firing of head coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas.
New York will look to bounce back from a dismal stretch in franchise history. The team has not had a winning season since 2015, posting a 56-108 record over that span, which ranks among the league’s worst.
The franchise has struggled to find stability at the quarterback position and throughout the organization, leading to the constant turnover that Hall referenced in his comments.
As Rodgers moves on to Pittsburgh, Hall’s defense of his former teammate provides insight into the personal relationships that develop despite team struggles, and suggests that organizational dysfunction, rather than individual shortcomings, may have been the primary factor in the Jets’ continued disappointment.
