New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson, once arch-rivals on competing NFC powerhouse teams, now find themselves somewhat united by a shared adversary.

Rodgers recently appeared on The Pat McAfee Show where he offered his thoughts on the Russell Wilson situation. Last week, Wilson revealed that the Denver Broncos had threatened to bench him if he didn’t modify his contract, a decision that ultimately led to his benching for Weeks 17 and 18.

Rodgers commended Wilson for his candidness and the way he handled the situation. He also noted that they now share a common cause, echoing the sentiment that “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.”

“Russ and I have had some battles over the years. There was a great rivalry, and we couldn’t seem to beat them … in Seattle. They couldn’t beat us in Green Bay,” Rodgers reminisced about their respective tenures with the Packers and Seahawks.

He went on to explain that their common adversary is none other than Broncos’ head coach Sean Payton.

Rodgers’ feelings towards Payton are largely influenced by comments the Denver coach made about Jets’ offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, who had a brief and unsuccessful stint as the Broncos’ head coach in 2022, finishing with a 4-11 record before being fired. Hackett had previously served as Rodgers’ offensive coordinator with the Packers from 2019 to 2021, earning his support.

Sean Payton’s scathing remarks about Hackett, delivered before the start of the season, left a lasting impression on Aaron Rodgers, leading him to conclude that both he and Russell Wilson now share a mutual aversion towards the Broncos’ coach.

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