Pat McAfee 'optimistic' that Jets' Aaron Rodgers will return to long-running Tuesday spot

BRISTOL, Conn. – Will Aaron Rodgers return this season to his always-newsworthy, often-controversial weekly segment on Pat McAfee’s program?

All signs point to yes.

McAfee said on Wednesday that while nothing is official, he is “optimistic” the Jets quarterback will be back for his long-running Tuesday spot in 2024.

Then he reinforced the notion in a brief chat with Newsday as he left the stage following a panel discussion with other ESPN personalities.

“If you think I was going to make that announcement today, you’re out of your mind,” he said, then added, “optimistic, optimistic, optimistic.”

McAfee’s appearance was part of a daylong series of sessions with executives and personalities for a group of about 50 journalists at ESPN’s headquarters here.

He took the opportunity to speak out against writers and media outlets that he believes have not treated his show fairly, which added some spice to the event.

Before that, he was asked about Rodgers, the player as well as the show guest.

“I think he’s going to be great,” said McAfee, a former NFL punter. “He considers himself the COVID king because he won (NFL) MVP through 2020 and ’21 with everything that happened with Aaron Rodgers throughout COVID.

“That was certainly a wild time, and every single time he comes on (the show) you’re getting an opportunity to listen to a guy who’s going to be on the Mount Rushmore in the history of football.”

McAfee acknowledged there are those in the media business who have accused him of not pushing back enough on what Rodgers says, and wonder whether having him on at all is good idea.

There were times last season when McAfee himself acknowledged on the air being uncomfortable with some of the positions his chats with Rodgers put him in as host.

“There were a lot of people asking for it not to happen anymore,” McAfee said.

Two of those people apparently were not McAfee or Rodgers.

“I think there’s a good chance you’ll probably see Aaron again on Tuesdays, but he’s got a lot going on right now,” McAfee said.

“I think it’ll end up happening, and if so I would be incredibly honored to get a chance to continue the conversation of a comeback story for a four-time MVP in a city that has been desperate for a win forever, since Broadway Joe (Namath) came out and made the promise (before Super Bowl III) and a team that has a massive amount of fans.

“That story, riding along this season with him, would be amazing, and it’ll probably be used in every documentary about Aaron Rodgers 10 to 15 years from now. I would assume a lot of our clips would be in there.”

Jason Kelce, the recently retired Eagles center, now is an analyst on “Monday Night Countdown,” which will premiere for the Jets-49ers opener on Sept. 9.

Appearing on an earlier panel, he said, “I expect the Jets to be very good.”

Kelce said Rodgers’ situation reminds him of Tom Brady leaving the Patriots, joining a team with an established defense in the Buccaneers, and winning another Super Bowl.

“Aaron’s walking into a similar situation,” Kelce said. “Coming off the (Achilles tendon) injury it’s a little more question: Is he going to sustain and be the guy that he’s been? I tend to think yes.

“Usually people aren’t suddenly different than what they’ve always been. Age does play a factor, but this is a guy who’s really smart. He can make any throw on the field. He makes others around him better.

“You pair that up with a great side of the ball on the other side, and I think he’s going to be really good . . . It’s going to be an awesome first week. I can’t wait.”

In other Jets-related news, ESPN announced there will be an upcoming “30 for 30” documentary called “The Sack Exchange” on the Jets’ defensive line of the 1980s.

By Neil Best

neil.best@newsday.com@sportswatch

Neil Best first worked at Newsday in 1982, returned in 1985 after a detour to Alaska and has been here since, specializing in high schools, college basketball, the NFL and most recently sports media and business.