If Aaron Rodgers didn’t know who Jihad Ward was during Saturday night’s Giants-Jets preseason game, he does now.

Ward, the Giants’ 29-year-old eighth-year defensive tackle, revealed on Wednesday that retaliation was the reason for his late push of Rodgers, the Jets’ superstar quarterback, in the teams’ annual preseason game.

Ward said he took exception to not only Rodgers’ mocking of him during a mic’d-up exchange that was shown on HBO’s “Hard Knocks,’’ but more importantly, Rodgers’ laughing about a blind-side hit by Jets receiver Randal Cobb on Giants cornerback Bobby McCain.

Cobb was penalized for the hit and McCain left the game with a concussion and, as of Wednesday, was still in concussion protocol and not practicing.

 In the latest episode of “Hard Knocks,” Rodgers was seen and heard by the microphones having a back-and-forth with Ward after Ward pushed him at the end of a play.

 “That’s f–king bulls—, bro,” Rodgers said to Ward. “What the f–k is that? Show some respect. C’mon, what the f–k is that? Five damn steps.”

Rodgers later revealed more about the exchange.

“I said, ‘I don’t even know who you are.’” Rodgers said.

Ward responded by saying, “I don’t know who you are, bro. I don’t know who the f–k you are!”

“And I said, ‘Bulls–t,” Rodgers responded.

On Wednesday after practice, Ward spoke about it for the first time since the incident.

 “There’s a reason why I acted like that from the first place,’’ Ward said. “There’s a reason why I shoved him like I did. The reason why is because I don’t let any of my mother-f–king teammates get knocked over. And Randall — what’s his name? — Randall Cobb? He knew what he did.

“That was some cheap s–t. If I see anything on the field, I’ve got to do what I’ve gotta do.

 “At the end of the day, I don’t want anyone out here thinking I was trying to cause a scene,’’ Ward went on. “There’s a reason why I do things. That was some sucker s–t that Randall Cobb and Aaron Rodgers did, and I’m stamping on that.

“I ain’t hiding from nothing. Laugh now, cry later.

“They’re going to entertain, they’re going to show his part, HBO. They weren’t even in the whole scenario with what really went down, so they’re going to show his side of the story and make me look like a sucker. But I ain’t going for that.

 “My side of the story is I’m not going to let any of my teammates get knocked down like that.’’

Ward said he was not only ticked off at Cobb, but at Rodgers, too, for laughing about the hit and the penalty.

 “They know what they did, they was laughing and all that stuff,’’ Ward said. “They know what they did, I know what he did, the coaches know what he did, my teammates know what he did. I’m the only one that’s sticking up for [McCain].

 “The whole team was pissed off (about the hit), preseason and all that stuff and you’re going to do some reaction and all that shit. That’s how they roll and I think we played them soon, so … ’’

Indeed, the Jets and Giants play each other on Oct. 29, and clearly, Rodgers will need no introduction to Ward.