Aaron Rodgers has made a career of using his unyielding intensity to push himself and his teammates toward championship dominance. But it was a different kind of push that captured the attention of NFL fans Thursday night.

With his New York Jets, he laid the foundation for what would become a 24-3 victory over the New England Patriots. Rodgers returned to the Jets’ sideline after New York’s second touchdown and appeared to push coach Robert Saleh with both hands, who was trying to give Rodgers a hug.

There was speculation about Rodgers’ reaction, but the coach and star quarterback could only laugh it off and downplayed the interaction after the game.

“I didn’t know he was going for the hug, he also likes to do the two-hand chest push,” Rodgers said. “He talks a lot about two-score leads, so I just gave him a little push and said, ‘two-score lead.’ That’s what happened.”

Saleh also laughed when talking about the moment, confirming after the game that the interaction was all about the Jets’ 14-0 lead at the time and not frustration.

This interaction between Aaron Rodgers and Robert Saleh… 👀

🎥 @NFLonPrime photo.twitter.com/7ODUpvCt5d

— The Athletics (@TheAthletic) September 20, 2024

The final score showed that Rodgers had little reason to be frustrated: the 40-year-old threw for 281 yards and scored two touchdowns in a game with no turnovers.

“Some of the things we talked about is giving the defense a two-score lead,” Saleh told reporters. “And it was a two-score lead, so I think he just wanted to see something from the defense, he just reminded me that we have a two-score lead.”

In an otherwise dull “Thursday Night Football” game, the second-quarter shove emerged as the most talked-about story. But for Jets fans worried about Rodgers’ waywardness derailing their 2-1 start to the season, the shared laugh between the quarterback and coach after the game should keep the optimism going in East Rutherford, where Jets fans chanted Rodgers’ name in the third quarter of his vintage performance.

“It was a very special evening. All those songs are really meaningful,” he said afterwards.

Required reading

(Photo: Al Bello/Getty Images)