New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers made waves by not being with his teammates for mandatory minicamp from June 11-13.
Rodgers attended some of the Jets’ overtime activities but was absent when they were required to play at One Jets Drive in Florham Park, New Jersey, and the team deemed that absence “without justification.”
Legendary New England Patriots receiver Julian Edelman appeared on Fox Sports’ “The Herd with Colin Cowherd” and admitted he thought Rodgers’ absence was “unseemly.”
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New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) gestures during practice at the NFL football team’s training facility, Tuesday, May 21, 2024, in Florham Park, New Jersey. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
“I think it’s a bad look for a leader to be absent without notice, whatever the reason,” Edelman said.
“I was with Tom Brady when he was in his 25th or 23rd year and he started missing OTAs but never missed a mandatory minicamp. I just thought it was unseemly.”
Edelman explained why he felt that way after seeing Rodgers not with the Jets.
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“I know a lot of people do things differently,” he began, “but God forbid the New York Jets start the season 1-3. [San Francisco] Niners, Tennessee [Titans], [New England] The Patriots versus another team. We all know the Patriots suck, but that defense is still the same defense and that’s the team Aaron’s going to face.
“If they go 1-3, it’s going to be a huge disruption in the locker room because everyone is going to be talking about it. This is New York City. It’s the media capital of the world.”
Edelman added that “nobody cares” if the Jets start the season undefeated, but he believes the Jets would have benefited from having Rodgers there given a variety of factors, including the fact that he injured his Achilles and only played in four games last season.
“I’m a big Aaron Rodgers fan, but if I was in the locker room and Aaron Rodgers wasn’t there for a three-day mandatory minicamp, we had two new receivers, a bunch of new linemen, we weren’t able to practice much because of the CBA and he was coming off an injury and only played four snaps, I’m sure there would be four, five, six, seven, eight, nine guys sitting in the locker room asking, ‘Where is he?'” Edelman said.
New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman (No. 11) runs onto the field and gestures to the crowd before the game against the Cleveland Browns at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts on October 27, 2019. New England won, 27-13. (Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images)
The Jets knew in advance that Rodgers would not participate in mandatory minicamp, but whatever plans he may have had earlier still resulted in an unexcused absence, which would make him subject to a fine.
Sports Illustrated reporter Albert Breer recently appeared on “The Rich Eisen Show” and provided some more details about Rodgers’ absence.
“The best answer I can give right now with any degree of confidence is that he’s not in a place where he’s relentlessly trusted by the other guys in the locker room, but he’s in a place where it’s expected, it’s not unexpected for him,” Breer said. “So I would encourage you to keep an open mind and look at all the possibilities. He’s been known to open his mind at times.”
Breer was alluding to the retreats Rodgers has publicly spoken about, including a dark period last offseason when he realized he wanted to continue playing football and play for the Jets. Rodgers is also known to participate in ayahuasca retreats.
Cowherd also said last week that Rogers was enjoying an “overseas” holiday.
New England Patriots legendary receiver Julian Edelman said Aaron Rodgers’ absence from mandatory minicamp was “unseemly.” (Getty Images)
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Either way, Breer explained, the Jets want to maintain fairness, so absences are unacceptable.
“They told him there’s no room for that because, again, that’s how you maintain trust in the locker room,” Breer added. “You can’t do something to one guy, let alone a lower-ranked guy, that you wouldn’t do to another star player on the team, right?”
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