Aaron Rodgers recently announced that he would not return to play this season after getting sidelined with an Achilles injury in Week 1. This decision has stirred up quite a bit of controversy, as he was activated off the injured reserve list. It was the next step in his rehabilitation process, as per Robert Saleh, but had a bit of a consequence.
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The Jets‘ decision to activate Rodgers had an unexpected casualty: fullback Nick Bawden. To accommodate Rodgers on the 53-man roster, the Green Gang had to let go of Bawden, a move that did not sit well with many, especially considering Rodgers’ declaration of not playing any games this season.
Jets QB Aaron Rodgers to be activated off of Injured Reserve.
Coach Robert Saleh says he will be added to the active roster to keep practicing as part of his rehab process, but will not play this season. pic.twitter.com/LZrYjnchpG
— NFL (@NFL) December 20, 2023
Nonetheless, the Jets might have to reverse the decision, as the star fullback’s wife recently gave an update about the whole situation.
Aaron Rodgers Might Have to Give his Spot Back
According to MLFootbal‘s tweet, Nick Bawden will be back on the roster today, which was confirmed by his wife, Alexis Bawden. She revealed this on her TikTok account when a fan vented frustration at the star fullback getting sacked by saying, “I’m so pissed they cut Nick,” followed by, “Hope they resign him.” Interestingly, Alexis replied by noting, “He’s fine!! Haha will be back on the team tomorrow,” as per the NY Post.
This news came as a relief to fans and showed a possible reversal of the Jets’ earlier decision. It’s worth noting that Bawden has participated in all 13 games for the Jets this season.
The decision about Aaron Rodgers and Nick Bawden caused quite a stir, especially with Colin Cowherd, a well-known sports commentator. Cowherd was pretty upfront, calling the whole situation more about good public relations than about actual sports. His tweet stated, “It’s official. Aaron Rodgers won’t play this season and Colin Cowherd is over it… “This has been a PR grift from day one.”
He found it odd that Rodgers was still on the team’s roster even though he wasn’t playing in the games. Cowherd also mentioned that other players with similar injuries didn’t get this kind of special treatment.
To sum it up, the whole story with Rodgers and Bawden at the Jets shows us how tricky it can be to balance what’s best for the team and what’s fair for the players. It highlights the importance of considering all aspects of team management, including public perception and player morale, in the highly scrutinized world of professional sports.
