Aaron Rodgers & Jets Look to Avoid Sean Payton’s Mistake as HC Robert Saleh Emerges as Offense Supervisor

The 2024 NFL season could be a big one for the New York Jets. With doubts and concerns surrounding the team’s offensive coach, Nathaniel Hackett and his plays, QB Aaron Rodgers recently revealed that HC Robert Saleh had taken hold of the offense’s reins. With the 45-year-old getting more involved in the other side of the ball game, it has left a few football analysts comparing his moves to Broncos HC, Sean Payton.

In a recent episode of Pro Football Talk, Mike Florio and his co-host, the former quarterback, Chris Simms, discussed Rodgers’ recent revelations. Both the analysts seemed to agree that it was a “good” thing for the team that Saleh would be supervising the offensive training and more. After all, the 43-year-old emphasized that “things were all messed up” just last year.

Florio also chimed in that while Saleh was switching up the norm, it was “not uncommon” for a coach who made it to the head coaching job to stay fully invested in the side of the ball that got him there. After all, that is what Sean Payton had done with Denver and even his previous team, New Orleans. The host claimed that by focusing only on the offense instead of the defense back in 2012, “that’s how Sean Payton got himself suspended for a year.”

Although Payton may have had all hands on deck during his time with the Saints with Greg Williams, it eventually ended in the scandal that is now looked back on as Bounty Gate. With the Jets aiming to avoid the mistakes made by the rival coach, it looks like the feud which began back last year is still going strong.

Why Aaron Rodgers and Sean Payton butted heads in 2023

The Aaron Rodgers and Sean Payton feud only seems to be getting deeper. Although the problems began last year when the quarterback joined the New York Jets, things only got worse when the Broncos HC called Nathaniel Hackett’s last season with Denver “one of the worst coaching jobs in the history of the NFL.” With the 40-year-old immediately hitting back at the coach’s statements, it left quite a lot of friction between the two.

With Rodgers calling Payton “inappropriate” and “insecure” in a statement to the press, everyone expected the Denver head coach to shoot back. However, he chose to take the high road and tell the media that he and the quarterback had gotten past the comments just a few short days later. Neither the athlete nor the coach chose to reveal whether the two had reconciled.

However, with Robert Saleh stepping up as an offensive supervisor ahead of the upcoming season, it looks like Payton’s words about Nathaniel Hackett and his not-so-good streak have sunken in more than expected. After all, the Jets had high hopes for last year and wound up finishing at 7-10 for the second time in two years. With it being 14 seasons since they made it to a playoff, the team might have more pressure on them than usual.