Aaron Rodgers Says Semantics Help Explain Unexcused Absence

Former Cal QB Rodgers makes his first comments since missing a minicamp practice to visit Egypt

Aaron Rodgers at the Kentucky Derby / Sam Upshaw Jr./Courier Journal / USA

Former Cal standout and current New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers is expected to face the media for the first time since his unexcused absence from a two-day minicamp when the Jets' preseason camp opens on Wednesday.

However, Rodgers gave a little preview of what he will say during his interview on Pardon My Take, which was released on Sunday. It is believed to be Rodgers' first public comments on the subject of his absence to take a prearranged trip to Egypt..

Here is the Pardon My Take program, with the interview with Rodgers starting about 1:06 into the video and his brief comments about his unexcused absence coming about 1:14 into the video

If you don't want to listen to the video, Zach Rosenblatt of The Athletic tweeted what Rodgers said on the subject of his absence:

Without digging too deeply into the issue, Rodgers focuses on the fact that the names of certain offseason practice sessions have changed, leading to a misconception of what his absence meant.

Rich Eisen responded to Rodgers' explanation, starting about five minutes into the video below:

Pat McAfee then commented on Rodgers' response on his show.

The question, of course, is how Rodgers will respond to questions from the media on Wednesday, because you know he is going to get grilled on the subject of his absence.

---Does it reflect on his leadership skills if teammates see him miss a minicamp?

---Was this a public relations mistake by the Jets and head coach Robert Saleh for calling it an "unexcused" absence since they knew long before the day in question that he had already scheduled the trip to Egypt and would miss that practice?

---Is Rodgers 100% committed to doing everything he can to help the Jets win?

---Does his absence from the minicamp matter in terms of his relationship with teammates and coaches and the Jets' ability to win games?

And other questions like that.

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