Aaron Rodgers' drama with the Jets is music to Patriots fans' ears
When it was revealed that Aaron Rodgers wanted out of Green Bay last year, it was a story that went beyond the NFL. It was just the second time in recent history that a big-name quarterback wanted off the team they had played for the entirety of their career, with Tom Brady being the last before Rodgers.
It became a huge debate about where he would want to be traded to, as he had a no-trade clause in his contract. So when it was reported that Rodgers wanted to go to the New York Jets, a team that hadn't been relevant in decades, it was a shocking development for the one-time Super Bowl Champion.
The trade eventually happened, and the Jets immediately became championship favorites despite the quarterback's lack of success. And because he missed the entire 2023 season with his new team, that prediction has moved to this upcoming year, with many analysts deciding Rodgers will single-handily win the AFC East and make a deep playoff run at 40 years old.
Everything was being painted as sunshine and roses between Rodgers, head coach Robert Saleh, and the rest of the roster, but it didn't take long for that to go up in flames, as many predicted it would.
Things have gotten a bit sketchy between Aaron Rodgers and the Jets this offseason
With every team finishing up OTAs in recent weeks, most have moved on to mandatory minicamp this week, with the Patriots finishing their third and final practice on Wednesday.
The Jets are also in the middle of their minicamp this week, but Rodgers allegedly decided to skip practices to travel out of the country, according to reports, despite being the team's quarterback and having missed all of his first season in New York.
NFL insiders and reporters had varying opinions on the matter, with some reporting the news according to Saleh's comments, while others took the time to try and defend the quarterback's actions.
#Jets coach Robert Saleh told reporters that QB Aaron Rodgers is not at minicamp today, an unexcused absence that is subject to fines. Saleh said it was for an event "important to him."
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) June 11, 2024
Pass-rusher Haason Reddick, who wants a new contract, is also not present.
Aaron Rodgers is skipping all of Jets mandatory minicamp this week because he prefers to be somewhere else away from football. That's his choice.
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) June 12, 2024
Framing Rodgers' decision to skip mandatory practices while the rest of his team is present as "his choice" is a bit ironic when we know how Tom Brady would be treated if he tried to pull something like this, but that's a conversation for another day.
It looks like things aren't going as well in New York as previously reported, and the Aaron Rodgers experience is only just beginning.
This is great news for the Patriots if things continue to go downhill. The Jets could fall apart by the seams even before the season begins, making them less of a threat to New England. It might not help them win the division, but seeing the media-crowned offseason champions get a dose of reality into the season would be fun.
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