NFL
Aaron Rodgers insisted he played no role within the firing of Robert Saleh as coach of the New York Jets, calling such allegations “patently false.”
The star quarterback made his weekly appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Wednesday, a day after Jets owner Woody Johnson fired Saleh after the team got off to a 2-3 start within the coach's fourth season.
Some media and fans speculated that Rodgers can have been involved in influencing Johnson, who said during a conference call Tuesday that the choice was “my decision and my decision alone.”
Johnson named defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich because the Jets' interim head coach for the rest of the season.
“As far as the ridiculous allegations go, I won’t respond more than one sentence,” Rodgers said. “And that is, I am angry about all these accusations because they are obviously false. And it’s interesting how much power people think I have that I don’t have.”
Rodgers confirmed he spoke with Johnson during a “nice call” on Monday night, but said the owner simply asked him how he was feeling after damaging his left ankle within the Jets' loss to Minnesota in London on Sunday sprained. Both Johnson and Rodgers said there was no talk of Saleh's future.
“Woody has no obligation to tell me his plans,” Rodgers said. “I just appreciated the call that he asked about me.”
Rodgers spoke about how the choice to sack Saleh was a reminder that football “is a tough business” and that decisions like this have a human aspect. He cited Saleh's family, including one among the coach's seven children, with whom he was close during team training. Rodgers also reiterated that he and Saleh – who said in a press release he was “grateful” for the chance to change into the Jets' head coach – should not at odds.
Tight end Tyler Conklin said during a video call with reporters that he thought the quarterback “probably took this harder than almost anyone” since it was clear “it weighed heavily on him.”
“I love Coach Saleh,” Rodgers said. “We have a very solid relationship. … He was one of the main reasons I came to the Jets.”
The four-time NFL MVP was traded from Green Bay to New York in April 2023. With his arrival got here Super Bowl expectations, but Rodgers tore his left Achilles tendon 4 times in his debut last season – and the Jets finished 7-10 without him.
New York entered this season with similar ambitions, but a two-game delay and inconsistent play from Rodgers and the offense had Johnson frightened the team was heading within the fallacious direction.
Linebacker CJ Mosley said during a video call that players on the team's leadership council — including Mosley, Rodgers, Conklin, offensive tackle Morgan Moses and punter Thomas Morstead — met to debate the situation after news of Saleh's firing broke.
This was followed by a player-only meeting after which a team meeting with Ulbrich.
“I would say the biggest thing I heard a lot yesterday was responsibility,” Mosley said. “I believe we’ve got to maintain that in mind in the longer term. We all must take responsibility each day we walk into the constructing, each day we get up, and each decision made inside our organization, especially with our team.
“Whether it’s good, bad or somewhere in between, that’s what this is all about. So I think this was definitely a wake-up call and an eye-opener for a lot of people.”
Rodgers also talked about taking responsibility, starting with himself.
“I have to play better – I will,” Rodgers insisted. “We have a lot ahead of us.”
The Jets play at home against the Buffalo Bills on Monday night and a win would give them a share of first place within the AFC East.
Rodgers said the team welcomes Ulbrich and echoed among the coach's comments Tuesday that there have to be some changes with recent leadership.
“There were some things that had to change regardless of what happened to Robert,” Rodgers said. “And you know, we just didn’t play consistent football on offense. And as we know, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”
Offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett's status as the first game manager is uncertain. Hackett and Rodgers have had a detailed relationship since their time together in Green Bay, however it's possible that Ulbrich decides to show the play calls over to passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach Todd Downing.
“As far as the offense goes, I agree with his decision,” Rodgers said. “And I need to do the very best for the team and we support coach Ulbrich.
“And whatever he thinks is best for the team, that’s what we’ll do.”
image credit : www.boston.com