Jets Face Backlash For Flag Mishap During National Anthem as Aaron Rodgers Returns to MetLife Stadium

Donning yellow and black, Aaron Rodgers is taking the field against his former champions, the New York Jets. And looks like they came overprepared. Before the veteran could take a signal snap on the gridiron, there was already a mishap. 

Apparently, the pre-game ceremony captured a hilarious incident when the American flag was being unfurled for the National Anthem. As it turns out, it was 100 yards long, weighing 1,100 pounds. So, over a hundred people were holding up this huge flag, and somehow, a guy ended up stuck right on top of it. The flag was so big that the only way he could get down was by crawling all the way across the red and white stripes—with like 80,000 fans watching the whole thing. “Someone got stuck on the flag,” reported NFL insider Ari Meirov, covering the hilarious incident. 

As it went viral, fans couldn’t help but take jabs at the Jets. Since 2011, the Green Gang has hardly seen a productive season, and the last two seasons have been a complete breakdown. Though the expectation this season is slightly better with a new head coach and QB, fans don’t want to have even the slightest dim of hope. So this flag mishap appears to be a good way to turn down those hopes. “Jets season is about to be cursed,” wrote one fan. What makes it even more realistic is the Giants’ curse of 2017, when the American flag tore and they ended the season at 3-13.

Some fans took a more brutal and unfiltered take, writing, “They can’t do anything right lmao.” The context of these comments comes from another flag mishap by the Jets earlier in January 2025. Remember the Week 18 game against the Dolphins? Just before the national anthem, the crew brought the ‘Jets’ flag, but upside down. So, Jets read ‘STEJS’ on a 30-yard-long flag. 

There was one fan who was scratching his head in an attempt to understand how exactly the ‘man’ got stuck on the flag. “How does that even happen,” he questioned, and in response, he got a simple answer: “It’s the Jets.” Well, the only possible scenario could be that the man (part of the Jets crew) got on the flag to fix a crease, but since it was 100 yards long, he couldn’t find his way off.

While Jets fans continue cheering for the Green Gang, others wonder: “How can a franchise be so embarrassing?” Even if we put aside these flag mishaps for a moment, the team has given enough reason to the NFL fanbase to become a laughingstock. Last year, under Rodgers, they made history, not in the way he wanted. As their playoff drought since 2011 continues, they have recorded the longest playoff drought by a team in American Sports history.

Jets fans boo Aaron Rodgers’ return at MetLife

As expected, the Jets’ two-year failed experiment did not receive a warm welcome upon his return to MetLife Stadium. The moment he stepped onto the field, his former fanbase greeted him with a chorus of boos—even though there were more yellow jerseys in the stadium. Of course, this wasn’t the first experience of the four-time NFL MVP; it felt different, more personal. He came to the team with sky-high expectations, but his first season ended on the bench with a torn Achilles injury and the second with an embarrassing 5-12 record.

As if that wasn’t enough, there was always something making headlines with Rodgers’ name on it. Be it his missing the mandatory minicamp for a trip to Egypt, his temporary Vice-Presidential run, or those appearances on The Pat McAfee Show that always ended in a bizarre headline. By the time he left, his relationship with them was truly fractured. The veteran tried to sort things with the Jets fans, but it proved to be a moot point given their reaction. “I really embraced my time there (with the Jets) and put as much of myself into it as I possibly could, and I really wanted to win there,” he said.

When the opening play from scrimmage ended with Rodgers being tackled by his former teammate Quinnen Williams, fans took a breath of relief. But in the end, it was Rodgers, getting the last laugh, after quickly bouncing back. Just nine plays later, Rodgers connected with wide receiver Ben Skowronek on a 22-yard touchdown pass, giving Pittsburgh an early 7-3 advantage over New York.