Jay Williams: Why Aren't the Packers Sticking Up For Aaron Rodgers?

Things are not good in Green Bay. The Packers are 3-5 and losers of five straight games. The most recent loss came at the hands of the Detroit Lions. Aaron Rodgers played maybe his worst regular-season game ever as he recorded his first career three-INT game and failed to hit double-digit points against the worst defense in the NFL by a significant degree. The season isn't over yet but the Packers are teetering on the edge of the abyss for 2022.

Keyshawn Johnson, Jay Williams, and Max Kellerman discussed the team's failures on ESPN Radio this morning and Williams had an interesting observation: why aren't any of Rodgers' teammates sticking up for him?

Well, one could guess that Rodgers' weekly interviews with Pat McAfee in which he is not afraid to openly criticize his teammates or coaches may not sit well with everyone. Seems like a good place to start if we're trying to get to the heart of all issues here.

But on the other hand, there may not be fire here. Or even smoke. It was kind of weird when Tyreek Hill wouldn't stop talking about Tua Tagovailoa publicly! Guys are expected to give their support to their teammates and some take it to the media, which is an extra shot of morale. That's about where those expectations end. Players going to the media to defend their teammates against criticism is a bit over the top and rarely happens if only because it acknowledges that the team hears all that outside noise, which they love to pretend to ignore.

Or maybe everyone hates Rodgers and can't wait for him to retire. Losing tends to create friction so we'll find out how everyone feels by the end of the year if the Packers can't turn it around.