
The New York Jets decided to part ways with Aaron Rodgers after two very frustrating NFL seasons. However, they claim that Dianna Russini was entirely off-base with her report about an “ultimatum.”
At no point did the organization tell its quarterback that he would not be allowed to appear on The Pat McAfee Show if he was to return for another year. Or so it says…
I am a firm believer that there are always three sides to every story. In this case, there is the New York Jets’ account of what went down with Aaron Rodgers, Russini’s account of what went down over the last month and the truth. We may never know exactly what happened. It all took place behind closed doors.
Let’s start with what was reported earlier in the month. According to Russini, the Jets told Rodgers that he would have to make a decision. He would either have to “be part of this team” and “attend all of training camp” or find a new place to play. They, being new head coach Aaron Glenn and members of the front office, also told him that he was “not going to do Pat McAfee interviews anymore.”
What did the Jets really tell Aaron Rodgers?
Rodgers has been a mainstay on The Pat McAfee Show for a few years now. The 41-year-old four-time MVP joins the crew every Tuesday for a few hours. They discuss anything from football, to aliens, to more controversial topics like the pandemic in 2020.
Russini claimed New York told Rodgers that his weekly appearance would not longer continue if he wanted to stick around, among other things. Jets general manager Darren Mougey says that is entirely untrue. He indirectly called the report a bold-faced lie and shut down the idea of any kind of “ultimatum” at the NFL Draft Combine on Tuesday. Here are his exact words:
Darren Mougey says Aaron Rodgers was never given an ultimatum or rules of engagement by the team
— Jets Videos (@snyjets) February 25, 2025
Mougey gives respect to Rodgers and adds "that was the decision we made, look forward to moving past that and into the next process with free agency and the draft" pic.twitter.com/yVQquVYK6n
I don’t know what to believe here. On one hand, Dianna Russini is a New Jersey-native with connections to the New York Jets organization. On the other hand, it seemed pretty silly that an NFL team would prevent one of the best quarterbacks in league history from returning for another season because he sometimes appears on television on his own time. And the team itself claims that is untrue.
Maybe Mougey is trying to cover up the truth. Maybe Russini embellished. That’s up to you to decide!