Exclusive: Aaron Rodgers Reveals Shocking Reaction to Being 'Forced' into Filming 'Hard Knocks' with the New York Jets

Aaron Rodgers John Salangsang/BFA/Shutterstock

HBO's upcoming season of Hard Knocks will center around the New York Jets. However, the team's newly acquired quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, is far from enthusiastic about the situation. In an interview with KPIX-TV at the American Century Championship in Lake Tahoe, the 39-year-old athlete expressed his discontent, stating that the decision was forced upon them and they have no choice but to handle it. Rodgers acknowledged the appeal of featuring the Jets, considering the high level of attention on both himself and the team, along with the lofty expectations placed upon them.

Rodgers joined the Jets in April, ending his 18-year tenure with the Green Bay Packers. ESPN recently announced that the Jets would be featured in the 20th season of Hard Knocks, a series that follows a team during training camp or the regular NFL season.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Rodgers wasn't the sole dissatisfied individual on the Jets roster upon hearing about the Hard Knocks announcement.

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According to Schefter on a recent episode of the network's Get Up, the Jets have been resistant to the idea from the start. They reportedly met with NFL Films and made it clear that they were not interested in participating. It's worth noting that this is not the same situation as when the Jets worked with Rex Ryan and Mike Tannenbaum. Unlike that previous group, the current Jets regime is not just going along with it.

Schefter believes that the upcoming season of Hard Knocks will be different due to the team's reported hesitance to participate. According to Schefter, the team will not be granted the same level of access as previous seasons. He said that the Jets have expressed concerns about showing players being released, so it is unlikely that we will see them on the show this summer. Schefter thinks that the Jets will reluctantly participate because they feel it is being imposed on them, but they will not cooperate to the same extent as the Lions did last year or other teams have in the past.

Rodgers expressed his enjoyment of one aspect of Hard Knocks - the narration. Since its inception in 2001, the series has been narrated by Liev Schreiber, with the exception of the 2007 season which was narrated by superfan Paul Rudd from the Kansas City Chiefs. When asked about it, Rodgers shared his appreciation for the "voice of God" that Liev brings to the show and expressed his hope of one day meeting him.

Rodgers' potential retirement before the 2022 season had caused concern among many Jets fans. However, in March of that year, he put those worries to rest by confirming his return to the Packers for his 18th season with the team. Despite signing a lucrative three-year, $150 million deal with the Packers, he was ultimately traded to the Jets just one year later.

In April, Jets general manager Joe Douglas expressed his satisfaction with the outcome, stating, "Obviously, we're pleased with how this deal turned out. Our objective from the start was to acquire Aaron for our team, and we were able to accomplish that. We reached an agreement yesterday, and we're eagerly looking forward to having him on board."