The news surrounding Jon Gruden and his resignation as head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders following the release of emails that contained racist, homophobic, and misogynistic language has sent shockwaves across the NFL. Not only are we all still wondering what else was in the emails that involved high-ranking officials within the Washington Football Team organization, but what other emails are out there from other organizations, and how similar are they?
In the meantime, there are plenty of reactions to come from people around the NFL. Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who has plenty to deal with in his own organization, commented on the situation during his latest stop to the Pat McAfee Show. Rodgers told McAfee that the sentiments expressed in the emails “don’t have a place in the game.”
“We have to leave space for people to grow and change and better themselves,” Rodgers told McAfee. “But I think there are opinions that just don’t belong in the game. I can say with real honesty and pride that I don’t feel like those (are) opinions that are shared by players. I feel like, in the locker room, it’s a close-knit group of guys, and we don’t treat people differently by the way they talk, where they’re from, what they’re into, what they look like, and I’m proud of that. I know that there’s probably opinions similar to that,” he added, referencing Gruden’s emails, “but I feel like they’re few and far between.”
“Again, I think that we need to allow people to grow and change,” Rodgers said, “but those opinions don’t have a place in the game. It was surprising to see (Gruden’s resignation came) so quickly, but I think that was probably the best decision for all parties involved. Hopefully, it puts people on notice, like, ‘Hey man, it’s time to grow and evolve and change and connect, and that s— doesn’t fly.”
For all the talk about how Rodgers has a bad work ethic or isn’t as committed to winning as he once was, the Packers QB has become something of an NFL elder statesman in recent days, sharing honest feedback about what’s happening in the league, what it means, and how everyone can move forward. We’ll see what lessons are learned from this whole debacle.