Saleh Says Rodgers Has More 'Experience in Coaching' Than Most of New York Jets Staff

Head coach Robert Saleh made an interesting admission when it comes to what the star quarterback Aaron Rodgers knows compared to his staff.

Jul 27, 2024; Florham Park, NJ, USA; New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh talks with media during training camp at Atlantic Health Jets Training Center / Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Now that the preseason is officially behind the New York Jets, the only thing left for them to do before they take on the San Francisco 49ers in Week 1 on Monday Night Football is deciding who will be on their roster.

One player who certainly will be there is Aaron Rodgers.

Their star quarterback didn't appear in a single preseason game for the Jets, something that shouldn't be overly alarming considering his age and being less than a year removed from his Achilles tear, but he'll be ready for their opener.

The hope is that the future Hall of Famer will be available the entire season, giving New York a real chance to compete for an AFC East title and playoff appearance.

It's no secret the fate of head coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas rests on what happens during the year, and since Rodgers will be a major part in determining that success, it's no surprise the prominent signal caller has thrown his weight around a bit.

The signings of past Green Bay Packers teammates like Randall Cobb and Allen Lazard was met with criticism from members of the media who think it was a mistake for the organization to give the quarterback some roster influence.

However, Saleh rejects the notion that this is a bad thing for the team.

"... any organization that has a (future) Hall of Fame quarterback is gonna defer to him and to make sure that things are in a way that he needs it to be so he can perform his best. What I will say is that Aaron does a phenomenal job communicating, and making sure that we’re all on the same page in both directions," he told Michael Silver of The San Francisco Chronicle.

Rodgers isn't the first, and he certainly won't be the last, who has used his standing within an organization to get things done his way.

Saleh clearly feels it wouldn't be wise for them to ignore someone with the experience that Rodgers has, but he also made a telling admission when it came to the members on his staff.

"I mean, he's one of the greatest ever. And he's 40. I mean, he's got more experience in coaching than most of the coaches on our staff. It would be silly not to ask him a question or two, you know?" he added.

Considering Rodgers has 18 years of experience in the NFL and only three coaches have been in the league for longer, that technically is correct.

Still, saying that out loud doesn't inspire a whole lot of confidence that Saleh and his staff can lead this team to success, especially when remembering the the reports citing disfunction in the organization and that they tried to replace offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett.

At the end of the day, words are just words.

All that matters is the Jets perform well when they are on the field this season, no matter how many years of experience their coaching staff has compared to the star quarterback.