Count Aaron Rodgers as one of Nathaniel Hackett’s believers.
The Jets quarterback backed the embattled offensive coordinator Tuesday following the team’s 16-12 loss to the Raiders on “Sunday Night Football,” in which New York didn’t muster a single touchdown.
“I won MVP twice in this same offense, so I’m a believer in the offense,” Rodgers said during his weekly appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show.”
Hackett, 43, has been under fire as the Jets’ once-promising season continues to spiral after two straight primetime losses.
The former Packers offensive coordinator — who worked with Rodgers during his back-to-back league MVP campaigns in 2020 and 2021 — is guiding a unit that includes playmakers such as wide receiver Garrett Wilson and running back Breece Hall but has been ineffective in getting to the endzone.
Although third-year quarterback Zach Wilson has joined Hackett in taking much of the heat, as Rodgers, 39, noted Tuesday, “There’s a lot of positions that got to play better.”
“It’s easy right now to throw it at the usual suspects, Zach and Nathaniel, but there’s a lot of positions that need to play better,” Rodgers said.
Wilson, 24, slid into the role of QB1 following Rodgers’ Achilles injury in Week 1.
Through nine games this season, the 2021 No. 2 pick has thrown five touchdowns and six interceptions.
When it comes to a game-day approach with Wilson, Rodgers is an advocate of a “less is more” attitude.
“I don’t overcoach Zach, I know what it’s like on game day, I don’t need a lot of comments on game day, it’s less is more… On the sidelines, I help him here and there, it’s more very specific, if I see something specific, I’ll tell it to him … But for the most part, he’s got enough guys in his ear, I don’t need to be another voice,” Rodgers said.
With eight games remaining and the Jets currently on the outside of the AFC playoff picture, head coach Robert Saleh suggested changes will be coming — but the offense will remain as-is.
“We’re talking, nothing with the quarterback, nothing with the play-caller,” Saleh said Monday.
“We’re just looking at things with regards to schematically, the things that we can do differently, trying to continue to find ways to feature more of the things that our guys are comfortable with, obviously game plan permitted.”
The Jets (4-5) will visit the Bills (5-5) on Sunday.
The Jets topped the Bills in their season opener, 22-16.
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