Aaron Rodgers ' arrival in New York was a major statement by the Jets, and one that was welcomed by a large part of the fanbase.
But it didn't go down well with Hall of Famer Joe Klecko, who was concerned that Rodgers would disrupt the locker room as the Jets have a lot of young players that are levelling up together. Klecko even suggested Derek Carr as an alternative, due to his opinion that Rodgers can have an 'attitude problem' when things don't go his way.
However, Klecko has undergone a complete U-turn. After seeing Rodgers involved with the Jets, he sees shades of Tom Brady and believes the way he is teaching players around him like the former New England Patriots quarterback used to is a hugely positive sign.
Whilst Klecko still believes Rodgers isn't a straightforward person to read, he now admits he perhaps misjudged him whilst he was with the Green Bay Packers. Now, he's excited to see what Rodgers can offer on the field for his former franchise.
"He’s a different duck . He really is. There’s no doubt," Klecko said on the Jake Asman Show. "But as far as him as a football player, I’ve always said, as far as an accurate passer, there probably has never been one as good and presently there’s not.
"He’s the best accurate passer in the league and a four-time MVP. . . . My only contention was how he was going to get along with the young guys, you know? I made a reference to it, because the team I was on, we grew together.
"That was really a cool thing, because we got along so well. That’s what I was hoping, which he now has shown. He’s integrated into the rest of the team, and he’s out there teaching guys.
"He’s doing the things that you see Tom Brady do. I think he’s going to be a big surprise for everybody in New York."
It's an honest admission after Klecko was a guest on CBS radio and discouraged the Jets when they were linked with a trade. After weeks and months of speculation, Rodgers finally completed his move to the Jets and ended his 18-year stay at the Packers. But before a deal was completed Klecko tried to warn his former franchise.
"No, no I don't. I don't think Rodgers is a fit with the other guys. I relate them to a young team with myself when we started winning. It was a good fit for all of us because we all worked together and came up together.
"He has an attitude... when it doesn't go his way he goes dark... a bad feeling in that locker room."
Klecko has since retracted his statement and just like every other Jets fan, he wants to see them succeed. Rodgers has been putting a lot of effort in during the offseason, working with the younger players at OTA's to get them up to speed with his methods.
