New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers was present at OTAs, but missed mandatory minicamp. Some would call it a wash to avoid any media blowback or additional spotlight. However, head coach Robert Saleh labeled the quarterback’s absence as unexcused.
That put NFL analyst Mike Greenberg up in arms. Speaking on “The Pat McAfee Show,” Greenberg called out the Jets head coach for his hand in the events surrounding the absence.
“Robert Saleh has completely mishandled this Aaron Rodgers situation,” Greenberg said.
In his comments, Greenberg clarified that he had no problem with the quarterback missing the mandatory practices. However, the head coach’s response to label it unexcused made a mountain out of a molehill.
He also claimed that Saleh mishandled the response to reports claiming that the Jets had considered handling offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett differently. Greenberg said that Saleh claimed he had answered a question about the report in the past, but he had not.
Aaron Rodgers slated for rebound season for one simple reason
Rodgers is set to pursue his first improved final stat line from a previous year since 2020. Somewhat luckily, somewhat unluckily, he is essentially guaranteed to accomplish that feat for one simple reason.
By missing all but four plays in 2023, the quarterback set the bar for improvement almost as low as one could without suffering a preseason season-ending injury. As such, the quarterback only needs to last for five plays and complete one pass for positive yardage to eclipse his total from 2023.
Once that happens, fans can argue that Rodgers is trending up. Of course, that would be a logical fallacy considering his health of the prior year. However, he also has a decent chance to improve on the last full year he played.
According to Pro Football Reference, Rodgers threw for 26 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in his final year with the Green Bay Packers. The quarterback has a chance to eclipse those totals due to maintaining the element of surprise.
With Rodgers’ playbook practically unused last year, the veteran signal-caller essentially had a full year to learn the offense. That offers Rodgers the opportunity to confuse defenses out of the gate.
If the Jets capitalize correctly, Rodgers could find himself back in the playoffs for the first time since 2021. Of course, all of this assumes his health trouble was a one-time thing.
Will Aaron Rodgers trend upward after a rough start to his Jets experience?
Want the latest NFL analysis, breaking news, and insider information? Click here. Interested in reading storylines and analysis about the NBA? Check out our partner NBA Analysis Network.
