According to the New York Jets, Aaron Rodgers‘ absence from the team’s mandatory minicamp between June 11 and 13 was “unexcused.” The four-time league MVP has yet to provide a valid reason as to why he decided to skip minicamp despite being present in a number of the Jets’ previous OTAs.
This is exactly why it has come as no surprise that Rodgers has once again made headlines for all the wrong reasons. This includes a blatant call-out from three-time Super Bowl champ wide receiver Julian Edelman.
New York Jets News: Aaron Rodgers Called Out by Julian Edelman
Edelman shared his two cents worth on this latest A-Rod controversy in a recent episode of The Herd. The former Super Bowl MVP did not hold back in criticizing Rodgers’ decision to abstain from what should have been a tremendous opportunity to link up with his teammates:
“I think it’s a bad look for your leader, for whatever reason, to go and miss an unexcused absence,” Edelman told host Colin Cowherd (h/t Scott Thompson of Fox News).
“I was with Tom Brady in his 25th year or 23rd year, and he started missing OTAs here and there, but he never missed a mandatory minicamp. I just thought it was a bad look.”
Naturally, Edelman just had to throw in a Tom Brady jab in there.
Edelman wasn’t done. According to the former New England Patriots superstar, this move could cause quite a stir inside the Jets locker room:
“I’m a big Aaron Rodgers fan, but if I was in that locker room, and Aaron Rodgers wasn’t there for three days on the mandatory minicamp, having played four snaps off of an injury when we have two new receivers, a bunch of new linemen that we added to the team, with a CBA that doesn’t allow us to practice a lot, I guarantee there’s four or five guys – six, seven, eight, nine guys in that locker room – sitting there like, ‘Where’s he at?’” Edelman said.
He’s not wrong.
‘Such a Big Distraction’
Edelman then sent a warning to Rodgers and the Jets about potentially having a slow start to the season — one that could be impacted by their star quarterback’s absence from mandatory minicamp. According to Edelman, this move by Rodgers could backfire significantly not only on him but on the rest of the squad as well:
“I know a lot of people do things differently,” he began. “But God forbid the New York Jets start 1-3 at the beginning of the season, which they start with the [San Francisco] Niners, Tennessee [Titans], [New England] Patriots and someone else regardless. We all know the Patriots are no good, but that defense is still the same defense, and that’s who Aaron goes against.
“If they go 1-3, this is going to be such a big distraction for that locker room. Because everyone is going to be talking about it – this is New York City. It’s the media capital of the world.”
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