Aaron Rodgers Says Jets Need to Show More Poise After Heated Sideline Exchanges

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers wasn't on the sideline for Sunday's loss to the New England Patriots at MetLife Stadium, but he was still among the many to witness what unfolded between some of his teammates.

During his weekly appearance on the Pat McAfee Show, Rodgers said his Jets teammates need to show more poise and that the offense needs to "grow up":

"This is what teams have to go through. There's adversity points in every season. This year, it's happening early, and people are coming for us. And there's some heated conversations on the sideline about different things."

"I think we need to hold out poise a little bit better, really just offensively. We need to not have some of those things happen on the sideline and to be a little better, just be a little better competitors. We need to understand this is part of it, and it's not always going to be pretty. The most important thing is winning."

"... I think there's been too many little side conversations, and we just need to grow up a little bit on offense and lock in and do our jobs." "

Camera crews caught multiple incidents on the Jets sideline in a 15-10 loss to the Patriots on Sunday.

Gang Green running back Michael Carter got into a verbal altercation with running backs coach Taylor Embree in the fourth quarter of Sunday's Week 3 loss and multiple teammates had to intervene.

Carter described the incident as a moment between "two people who love to f--king win." He also said he and Embree have worked things out.

Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson was also shown on cameras getting into a heated sideline exchange with offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. When asked about the incident after the game, Wilson said the altercation stemmed from frustration.

"Just frustrating. Frustration that we're not moving the ball. That's what it was," Wilson told reporters. "Our defense was stringing together some stops, and I felt like it was time to go. Time to put some points on the board."

The Jets have struggled mightily since Rodgers went down with a season-ending torn Achilles on the team's first offensive drive of the 2023 season.

Sunday's game against the Patriots was seemingly a low point as the offense struggled to move the ball. Quarterback Zach Wilson completed just 18 of 36 passes for 157 yards and running backs Dalvin Cook and Breece Hall combined for just 36 yards on the ground.

Although Zach Wilson struggled under center, Jets head coach Robert Saleh reiterated after the loss that he will remain the team's starting signal-caller moving forward. If he and the offense continue to struggle, frustrations may only boil over as the season continues.

The Jets entered the 2023 campaign with confidence and high expectations following the addition of Rodgers. With things having gone sideways with his injury, it's no surprise the level of frustration is heightened.