Hard Knocks Episode 4 Recap: Rodgers’ Tirades Take Center Stage
About eight minutes into Tuesday’s episode of Hard Knocks, Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers goes silent, with his knee on the turf, as he processes a disappointing drive in practice. The show goes quiet with him. And when he releases a string of F-bombs (maxing out at four per sentence), HBO microphones seem to pick up every one.
In the penultimate episode of this season, Rodgers played in his first preseason game since 2018 and dominated the screen along the way. Jets head coach Robert Saleh took a back seat this week, as did the stars of the Jets defense and the heavily criticized offensive line.
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Tuesday’s installment was also littered with self-referential moments, reminders that the documentary crew’s cameras are far from invisible. Before one practice, backup QB Zach Wilson tells Rodgers that fans critiqued the 39-year-old’s use of wired earbuds after they appeared on the show last week. With an eye toward the camera, Rodgers defended the look by saying he was “saving my brain from all the harmful EMF emissions” that he might or might not believe come from bluetooth headphones.
At one point, wide receiver coach Zach Azzanni reminds his room—and viewers—that coaches are regularly having personnel meetings to discuss every player and where they stand on the depth chart. We don’t see those discussions, however, nor much of general manager Joe Douglas at all.
Meanwhile, breakout moments from the show’s past popped back up again in the fourth episode Tuesday. Tanzel Smart wore a t-shirt referencing his “car-cooch-ie board” malapropism while Jerome Kapp discussed his rookie talent show performance catching Eminem’s eye after it aired in Episode 3.
Having played the comic relief role earlier in the season, those two characters carried much of the dramatic weight Tuesday as the journeyman defensive lineman and undrafted wide receiver fought for roster spots ahead of cutdown day. The NFL’s new preseason calendar did Hard Knocks no favors though; observant followers likely knew ahead of time that neither player initially made the 53-man squad, given the cut deadline was Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET.
Despite the cuts, which will hopefully play a larger part in the final episode, this season has continued to focus its attention on the field. Fortunately, Rodgers delivered some highlight-worthy dialogue during his short stint in the team’s final tune-up performance.
Following a late shove from Jihad Ward, Rodgers butted heads with the Giants defensive lineman. “What the f— is that?” Rodgers prodded.
Ward is a Philadelphia native now playing on his sixth NFL team since being a second-round pick in 2016. But this year, Hard Knocks seems to have less time for those kinds of stories.
“Show some respect, bro,” Rodgers tells him. “I don’t even know who you are.”
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