New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers sent shockwaves through the NFL world by deciding to skip the team’s recent mandatory minicamp.
While some tried to downplay the whole situation, the fact of the matter is it’s never a good look when the single-most important player on the entire team decides to miss valuable practice time, especially when it’s mandatory.
Rodgers has been unfairly criticized for several things over the duration of his career. Having said that, it’s hard for anyone to defend him when he says one thing only to do the exact opposite.
According to head coach Robert Saleh, Rodgers preferred to attend an “event that was important to him.”
Saleh made it clear that Rodgers’ absence was “unexcused.” However, he stated that his high-priced quarterback communicated his plans to him and that the whole situation is not the end of the world. (Although it’s far from ideal.)
“Aaron and I spoke before OTAs 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 very important to him, which he communicated,” Saleh said.
With the new CBA and the way things are currently structured in the NFL, mandatory minicamps are more important than ever.
Considering the heavy offseason practice restraints, anytime you have a chance to come together as a team and get productive work done, it’s a golden opportunity.
Don’t get me wrong, the Super Bowl wasn’t won or lost with Rodgers’ decision. I have zero doubts he will be more than ready come Week 1 against the San Francisco 49ers.
Rodgers is one of the best quarterbacks of all-time and is more than capable of taking the Jets on a legitimate Super Bowl run this season.
Having said that, you can’t skip your mandatory minicamp – especially being the quarterback and leader of the team.
You can count former star wide receiver Julian Edelman as someone who believes that Rodgers made a very poor decision to skip the minicamp.
“I think it’s a bad look for your leader, for whatever reason, to go and miss an unexcused absence,” Edelman said on The Herd with Colin Cowherd.
“I was with Tom Brady in [one of his last seasons], and he started missing OTAs here and there, but he was still there [and] never missed a mandatory minicamp … I just thought it was a bad look.”
Ironically, this is not the first time Rodgers has faced negative comparisons to Tom Brady.
Earlier in the offseason, Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud shared his thoughts on the contrasting leadership styles of the two future Hall of Famers.
“I’ve talked to Tom Brady about this because he’s a good mentor to me. What he told me is his teammates, and how he treats his teammates. And that’s where I think it falls off,” Stroud said, referring to Rodgers.
“We don’t know how Aaron Rodgers treats his teammates, but you can guarantee that Tom Brady treats his teammates right because how he got those rings.”
What are your thoughts on Edelman’s comments?
More importantly, what are your thoughts on the entire Rodgers situation?
As the leader of the team, was his decision to skip mandatory minicamp inexcusable? … Or are you in the camp of those who believe the whole thing is being way overblown and it’s really not a big deal?
How many more years does Rodgers have left at a truly elite level? … Will he deliver a Lombardi Trophy to the Jets before he retires???
