Aaron Rodgers Was Good With Decision to Make Absence Unexcused

Kyle Koster | Jun 17, 2024

Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Aaron Rodgers' unexcused absence from New York Jets minicamp last week predictably became a thing outside the team facilities even though it doesn't seem like much of a thing behind closed doors. Coach Robert Saleh downplayed the significance, which is both perfectly understandable and a distraction the team created all on their own. Rodgers is 40 years-old and figures to still be a great quarterback even without the reps he would have gotten in early June. Plus, it sounds like everyone was on the same page about how the absence would be officially categorized.

In today's MMBQ, Albert Breer writes that all the parties involved in a uniform set of rules.

I did a little more digging over the past few days. What more I could ascertain was how the Jets and Rodgers reached an understanding of the “one team, one set of rules” logic to not excusing his leave. Rodgers, I’m told, was good with it.

Saleh also offered a ringing endorsement of this starting quarterback and is looking forward, not in the rearview mirror.

“Aaron has been just like he was a year ago,” Saleh said, after declining to rehash the events of last week. “He’s phenomenal. He’s a phenomenal teammate. He’s a phenomenal resource. His leadership, his thoughtfulness, the way he’s taken those young quarterbacks under his wing and the way he's helped even Tyrod [Taylor] along, he’s phenomenal in that regard. Him being here, and attacking the offseason and doing everything that we’ve asked has been fantastic.

All of these seems pretty conclusive. We know that Rodgers wasn't at the Jets' mandatory minicamp. We know that his absence was not excused. And now we know that everyone knew that was going to be the deal. What we don't know is if there will be any other firestorms — small or large, real or contrived — on Rodgers' road for playing essentially his meaningful football in two years.