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Aaron Rodgers initiated a meeting with Mike Williams after the wide receiver’s incorrect route led to an interception at the end of the New York Jets’ 23-20 loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 6, the wide receiver indicated Friday while speaking to reporters, per ESPN’s Rich Cimini.
While he didn’t go into specifics of their meeting, Williams told reporters on Friday that he wasn’t upset by Rodgers publicly calling out the situation, referencing the line painted on practice fields to train receivers not to fade their vertical routes too close to the sideline.
“I just have to be on the red line,” Williams said, per Cimini.
After the game, Rodgers confirmed that Williams was out of place when speaking to the media.
The veteran quarterback broke down the play during a Tuesday appearance on the Pat McAfee Show.
“It was two verticals to the right side and Mike needed to get to the red line, which would have been a big gain,” Rodgers said. “So, I wasn’t calling Mike out for anything other than his responsibility and the details on that play. I have a lot of love and respect for Mike.”
Pat McAfee @PatMcAfeeShow
“I’ve gotta play better & I can’t make that throw to end the game..
The question was about what happened on that play & I wasn’t calling Mike Williams out..
I hold myself to a standard of greatness & when it hasn’t been there I stand up there & say I gotta play better” ~… pic.twitter.com/A8ijlW4ArK
Williams said that he’s “definitely still building” chemistry on the field with the four-time MVP, per Cimini.
The Jets recently added a receiver that has a lot more familiarity with Rodgers, acquiring star wideout Davante Adams in a blockbuster trade with the Las Vegas Raiders on Tuesday.
NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported that New York was “planning” to make Williams available on the trade market following the Adams deal, although no agreement has materialized yet.
Williams was expected to operate in a larger role as part of the Jets’ offense alongside Garrett Wilson after signing a one-year, $10 million contract with the organization in March.
The 30-year-old has underperformed expectations, as he’s been targeted just 17 times in six games. Williams has recorded 10 catches for 145 yards this season and hasn’t been able to find the end zone.
Perhaps he’ll be able to get on the same page as Rodgers following their one-on-one meeting, but it may be difficult for him to stand out in a crowded position group that now includes a six-time Pro Bowl receiver.
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