04 September 2023 , 13:15
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New York Jets wide receiver Randall Cobb has been fined by the NFL for a late hit that sparked a war of words involving Aaron Rodgers and New York Giants pass rusher Jihad Ward.
The Jets and the Giants faced off in their final pre-season game on August 26 and Cobb was called for an illegal blindside block on Giants cornerback Bobby McCain. McCain left the game and entered the concussion protocol as a result of the collision.
The foul play proved costly for the former Pro Bowl wideout, with the NFL slapping him with a £10,993 ($13,889) fine. Rodgers and Ward went unpunished for their involvement.
Cobb's illegal hit led to an argument between Jets QB Rodgers – who was suiting up for his new team for the first time – and Ward, with the clash featuring on "Hard Knocks" last week. Ward shoved Rodgers after a pass and got in his face, prompting Rodgers to retort with a cutting putdown, saying he did not know who the linebacker was.
Ward claimed in the aftermath that the Jets players were laughing about the incident which left his teammate on the injury report, and the 29-year-old was unhappy at how the episode was portrayed on "Hard Knocks".
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"It’s all about Aaron Rodgers at the (end) of the day," Ward told reporters. "They sign him, it is what it is. They’re going to show his part and make me look like a sucker. But I ain’t going for that."
Rodgers, however, had a different version of events. The four-time MVP hit back, saying: "He thought we were laughing at his teammate? That never happened, and I think he’s making s*** up. I don’t care."
Randall Cobb has been given a hefty fine for his illegal hit on Bobby McCain. (Rich Schultz/Getty Images)Rodgers, 39, and the Jets have been the story of the summer after being acquired in a trade with the Packers. After years of lurching between dysfunction and mediocrity, the Jets have a deeply-talented roster including reigning offensive and defensive rookies of the year Garrett Wilson and Sauce Gardner.
Head coach Robert Saleh hopes Rodgers, a one-time Super Bowl champion, is the missing piece of the puzzle that can lead the Jets back to the playoffs after more than a decade on the outside looking in.
Confidence has oozed throughout the organisation, with the "Hard Knocks" cameras capturing a team that is full of self-belief for the year ahead. But the proof will be in the pudding once the regular season finally gets underway this week.
And the Jets face a challenging schedule to start the campaign, facing the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football on September 11 to start the season. Stern tests against the Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots, and Kansas City Chiefs follow immediately after.