Aaron Rodgers recounts UFO encounter on final episode of ‘Hard Knocks’

You didn’t think Hard Knocks would sign off without one more Aaron Rodgers story, did you?

The final installment of HBO’s five-episode New York Jets season spent most of its time on the Jets making final roster cuts as they head into the 2023 NFL season. But one interlude focused on a different sky-bound vessel entirely, with Aaron Rodgers describing a 2005 UFO encounter.

Rodgers has spoken about the phenomenon before, notably in 2016.

The segment started with Rodgers asking Jets security head Robert Mastroddi to grant practice-field access for Rodgers’ former college teammate.

“He played with me at Cal and I saw a UFO at his house,” Rodgers casually dropped into conversation.

In an on-camera interview, Rodgers explained that the friend, Steve Levy, was hosting Rodgers at his New Jersey home in 2005 around the time of the NFL Draft in New York City, and Rodgers was getting into bed when he heard an alarm in the distance.

“Steve and his brother and I walked outside and up in the clouds, we heard this sound and we saw this tremendously large object moving through the sky,” Rodgers explained. “It was like a scene out of ‘Independence Day’ when the ships are coming into the atmosphere and creating this explosion-like fire in the sky.

“We just saw this incredibly large object and froze, as anybody would. Eventually, it went out of sight and nobody said a word. We just stood frozen, the three of us, on the front stoop of Steve’s house and about 30 seconds later, we heard the real recognizable sound of fighter jets. It seemed to be chasing this object, and we just stood there in disbelief for another few minutes.”

Rodgers, who said the experience launched a lifelong interest in UFOs, figures the siren he heard was from the nuclear power plant nine miles away. He said many UFO sightings take place around sources of energy, like power plants and volcanoes.

“Whatever the hell it was, I don’t know,” Rodgers said. “But it was definitely unidentified, definitely flying and definitely a large object.”

The litany of former Packers on the Jets, including Rodgers, Randall Cobb and Alien — er, Allen — Lazard will open the season Monday night at home against the Buffalo Bills.

“Being in New York City, everything has just worked out,” Lazard said on the episode, noting that the location includes “one of my best friends” and “my favorite quarterback.”