New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers has never been far from the top stories this offseason. From his comments regarding Jimmy Kimmel on the Pat McAfee Show regarding the comedian’s attitude towards the Epstein list to his interest in possibly being Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s vice presidential running mate, the future Pro Football Hall of Famer has seemingly always been a hot topic of conversation.
Despite Rodgers’ extracurricular activities (like his highly controversial interview with Tucker Carlson), there was a great deal of optimism surrounding the Jets and their chances of being competitive in 2024. As he did last season following his trade from the Green Bay Packers, Rodgers showed up for voluntary workouts in New York.
Unlike last year, though, Rodgers was not present for mandatory minicamp.
New York Jets Quarterback Aaron Rodgers Skipped Mandatory Minicamp to Go to Egypt
On the first day of mandatory minicamp, the media present realized almost immediately that the four-time NFL MVP was not there. When asked about where Rodgers was, head coach Robert Saleh said:
Ok, so here’s the full explanation from Jets coach Robert Saleh on Aaron Rodgers missing minicamp. He says he and Rodgers have been in communication, and Rodgers is missing it for an “event that was very important to him”. pic.twitter.com/yaC9Lmu1pX
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) June 11, 2024
“Aaron and I spoke before OTA’s started. He’s been very good in communication. He’s been here the entire time. It’s unexcused, but he had an event that was really important to him.”
In the days that followed, there was a great deal of speculation as to where Rodgers could have gone. Analysts and former NFL players debated whether or not the future Hall of Famer’s absence was really that big of a deal.
In what might be considered a bit of fair criticism, many brought up Rodgers’ comments at the end of the 2023 NFL season regarding the need of everyone in the building to “flush the bull—-” and focus on winning. Many viewed his decision to skip mandatory minicamp as him not following his own advice.
For the Jets’ part, players, coaches, and owner Woody Johnson have been adamant that they did not have a problem with Rodgers missing camp.
Later, it was revealed (and later confirmed by Rodgers) that he had taken a trip to Egypt.
New York Jets Quarterback Aaron Rodgers Was Upset that Head Coach Robert Saleh Called His Absence Unexcused
According to a report by Dianna Russini of The Athletic, Rodgers took exception to his absence being called “unexcused” in front of the media:
“The 40-year-old skipped practice the week of June 10 for a trip to Egypt. It was something he planned long before these practices, and something he alerted coach Robert Saleh to ahead of time. The organization knew he’d miss the entire week, even if many outside the building originally misunderstood it as a one-day absence. None if it came as a surprise to the front office or coaches, even though Saleh called it an ‘unexcused absence’ during a news conference.
“Rodgers went to Saleh after that to question why he would call it unexcused. According to Russini, the head coach and his quarterback ironed things out and ‘everyone’s great now.’”
As Russini notes, Rodgers and Saleh have ironed out their differences and are ready to move forward in a positive manner.
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