Aaron Rodgers' former teammate rips NFL referees over "bulls**t" penalty call on Jonathan Owens

Jonathan Owens was tagged with a personal foul after hitting Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The penalty came at a critical juncture because the Chiefs were trying to catch up with the Green Bay Packers during their Week 13 Sunday Night Football game.

However, the Packers survived the opposition put up by the defending Super Bowl champions. Green Bay earned their fourth victory in five matches, 27-19, helping them go .500 in the season. But while the Packers have already won, one of Aaron Rodgers’ former teammates resented Owens’ penalty.

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Jonathan Owens did not commit any penalty

Two points of view claim that the defensive back from Missouri Western did not commit an infraction. First, Aaron Rodgers’ former offensive lineman, David Bakhtiari, tweeted about the call against Jonathan Owens:

“Established himself as a runner. Didn’t give himself up. Was in bounds. That’s so bad. Bulls**t.”

If Bakhtiari was healthy, he would be blocking for Jordan Love, just like he has done for Rodgers from 2013 to 2022. Unfortunately, injuries have derailed his career starting in the 2020 season. While he was still a First Team All-Pro that year, he suited up in only 12 games due to a season-ending ACL tear.

That injury has hampered his playing time over the next three seasons. He played only one game in 2021 and 11 in 2022. This year, he was placed on injured reserve due to a knee injury.

Bakhtiari’s 2023 campaign ended after one game due to surgery on the injured knee. At his best, the former protector of Aaron Rodgers’ blind side is a five-time All-Pro and a three-time Pro Bowler.

Meanwhile, Sunday Night Football rules analyst and former NFL referee Terry McAulay believes Jonathan Owens did not commit a penalty during the play. After looking at the replay, he saw Patrick Mahomes still making forward progress while still inbounds, making him a viable target for Owens.

However, Owens and the Packers survived that call by thwarting the Chiefs’ Hail Mary attempt. Owens finished the game with five tackles to help Green Bay keep their postseason hopes alive.

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The fight is not over for Jonathan Owens and the Packers

The victory against the Chiefs puts the Packers in the seventh and last spot in the NFC playoffs. However, they still have five more games to retain their postseason berth or improve their standing.

Copying what they did against Kansas City could be their recipe for success. Jordan Love had a solid game with three touchdown passes and zero interceptions. AJ Dillon had 73 rushing yards, while Christian Watson had 72 receiving yards and two touchdowns.

This colossal victory could give them a ton of momentum for the homestretch, starting with their visit to the New York Giants in Week 14.