Aaron Rodgers breaks silence on getting placed on IR after Jets controversially cut Nick Bawden for him

The former MVP said on the show:

I assumed I was gonna go on IR. I asked to be put on IR. There was a conversation, 'Do you want to practice,' and I said, 'Not at the expense of somebody getting cut.'.. I didn't feel like I needed to practice to continue my rehab... But obviously I got overruled there, maybe it is what it is. That was an interesting situation. Aaron Rodgers on The Pat McAfee Show

The Jets eventually signed Bawden to the practice squad after cutting him from the active roster. Rodgers decided to focus on getting completely fit for next season after the team was eliminated from the playoffs race.

Nick Bawden opened up about being cut from the Jets to let Aaron Rodgers practice

The New York Jets took a call to cut fullback Nick Bawden to make room for their star quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, once he was cleared to join practice. That news garnered a lot of attention as a lot of fans and pundits alike slammed Rodgers for it and called him “selfish.” Bawden recently opened up about the entire situation in an interview.

Bawden told the New York Post:

It meant a lot. He was really candid with what his interpretation was of what went down, and I just appreciated his honesty and candor. That’s just the type of guy Aaron is, so it didn’t surprise me at all. He FaceTimed me, so I got to see his face through the phone... It’s really unfortunate that people have taken that as a selfish act. Nick Bawden to the New York Post

Bawden was signed to the team’s practice squad following his release. Rodgers recently opened up about the situation on The Pat McAfee Show and clarified that he himself wanted to be on the IR. He also claimed that he was “overruled” by the team on wanting to be on the IR.