New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers addressed rumors on Wednesday regarding his involvement in the firing of head coach Robert Saleh. During an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” Rodgers firmly denied any role in Saleh’s dismissal, stating, “I resent any of those accusations, because they’re patently false.”
He expressed admiration for Saleh, mentioning, “I love Coach Saleh. We have a very solid relationship. He was a big reason why I came to the Jets.” Rodgers emphasized his concern for Saleh’s family and highlighted that Saleh’s son, Adam, had been his training partner during camp. He urged those supporting the decision to terminate Saleh to consider the human aspect, asserting that “not only is Robert a fantastic human being and damn good football coach, he’s also a family man.”
Rodgers mentioned that he was in the training room when he learned of Saleh’s firing and confirmed that Jets owner Woody Johnson reached out to him the night before to discuss his health following his ankle injury during the recent loss to the Minnesota Vikings. The Jets made the decision to let go of Saleh after their record fell to 2-3, although they remain just one game behind the Buffalo Bills in the AFC East standings.
This season has been challenging for Rodgers, who has thrown seven touchdowns and four interceptions, a performance that risks equaling or exceeding his interception totals from several previous seasons. His current completion percentage of 61.0% is the lowest he has seen since 2015, and a passer rating of 81.6 would mark his worst since he became a full-time starter in 2008.
There have been indications of friction between Rodgers and Saleh throughout the season. For example, the Jets faced five false start penalties during a loss to the Denver Broncos, leading Saleh to suggest that the issues could be linked to Rodgers’ complex cadence. Furthermore, after scoring a touchdown against the New England Patriots, an attempted hug from Saleh was met with a seeming rebuff from Rodgers, who explained that he didn’t realize Saleh was heading in for the embrace as “he’s not a big hugger.”