Few former Jets‘ voices carry as much weight as that of former defensive lineman Joe Klecko, a 2023 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee. From 1977 to ’87, Klecko was a fixture at Shea and Giants Stadiums, reaching four Pro Bowls and earning three total All-Pro selections in a lush era for New York’s younger team.
With speculation surrounding Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and a potential move to New York, Klecko stepped forward to offer his opinion this past week—and it wasn’t a positive one.
“Are you hoping [the Jets] find a way to pull off a deal for Rodgers?” CBS Sports’s Zach Gelb asked Klecko on his namesake show Wednesday.
“No. No, I don’t. I don’t think Rodgers is a fit with the young guys,” Klecko said. “I relate them to myself and the young team we came up with when we started winning. It was a good fit with all of us because we all worked together and came up together.”
Klecko conceded that Rodgers is “a great player” but outlined the awkwardness of his fit with a young team led by wide receiver Garrett Wilson, running back Breece Hall, cornerback Sauce Gardner, and other up-and-coming pieces.
“You don’t become the MVP three times without doing what he’s done,” Klecko said. “But he’s so condescending to his receivers—[Garrett] Wilson, who won offensive Rookie of the Year, I can’t see him coming back to the huddle and Rodgers lambasting him for running the wrong route. It’s not gonna fit. I don’t see it.”
