Aaron Rodgers plays right into Sean Payton's hands with Nathaniel Hackett backing

The New York Jets will host the Denver Broncos in Week 4, marking the second annual Nathaniel Hackett Bowl.

Hackett, now the offensive coordinator for the Jets, was the head coach of the Broncos in 2022. He had such a disastrous one-year stint in Denver that his successor, Sean Payton, relentlessly bashed him last summer. By the sound of it, New York quarterback Aaron Rodgers hasn't put much thought into the mentioned comments before their encore showdown (if any).

"That's old news," Rodgers told reporters regarding the Payton-Hackett drama. "We've all said things we'd like to take back."

Aaron Rodgers plays right into Sean Payton's hands with Nathaniel Hackett backing

Excluding one outlier year with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2017, Hackett's success in the NFL has mostly tied to Rodgers, a four-time MVP. Their current overlap with the Jets is a ringing endorsement of that statement.

When Rodgers plays, Hackett and the Jets suddenly run a functional offense. When New York is without their franchise passer, everything goes haywire. Several elements have undoubtedly played into the Jets' offensive struggles, but that's the underlying factor.

New York was 29th in scoring last season. However, the most glaring issue was Rodgers tearing his Achilles four snaps into his team debut. With the veteran signal-caller now healthy and under center, Hackett and the unit rank 14th through three weeks of the 2024 campaign. Go figure!

Luckily for Hackett and Gang Green, Rodgers will suit up when the Jets face the Broncos on Sunday. The 40-year-old gunslinger will look to lead the Jets to a 3-1 start, which would simultaneously avenge his longtime colleague.

Payton may have called a spade a spade when criticizing Hackett, though it was disrespectful nonetheless. Throwing dirt on the names of your peers only makes you filthier. Moreover, it's not like the Broncos have fared much better under the former than the latter. Denver is still among the worst squads in football when it comes to putting points on the board.

Rodgers suggests he, Hackett and the Jets remain focused on the goal at hand -- beating the Broncos. Regardless, New York would love to make Payton eat his words for a second consecutive season.