Aaron Rodgers took issue with Robert Saleh calling Jets QB's Egypt trip an “unexcused absence”: Report
New York Jets fans are hoping that this will be the season when Robert Saleh's stringent defense coupled with Aaron Rodgers' elite quarterback play will vault them into playoff contention. That is what they thought last season as well, but it was derailed after the player snapped his Achilles in the first game of the season.
The Jets would have hoped this year would be a fresh start, but that did not quite materialize when Rodgers missed the mandatory minicamp. When coach Saleh was asked about it, he called it an:
"Unexcused absence".
It set off a firestorm, and it was not helped when former Green Bay Packers teammate Marquez Valdes-Scantling revealed that the quarterback had gone to Egypt. It gave off the impression that the star player had not told the Jets and the head coach about his whereabouts.
Based on the latest reporting, the quarterback had planned his trip to Egypt long before the June 10th practice was finalized. He had reportedly told Robert Saleh of this clash as well and relevant people within the Jets' organization were informed. So when the player did not turn up, it was not a surprise to the coach.
Therefore, the "unexcused" comment did not sit well with the four-time MVP and he confronted his coach. The report in the New York Times states:
"Rodgers went to Saleh after that to question why he would call it unexcused. According to [Dianna] Russini [of The Athletic], the head coach and his quarterback ironed things out and 'everyone’s great now.'"
Robert Saleh had previously tried to correct his Aaron Rodgers take
The reporting above seems to corroborate what Robert Saleh had said the day after he uttered the phrase "unexcused absence". The head coach had said that he and the quarterback were on the same page and that any interest in the matter was being driven from outside the Jets' organization.
As ESPN's Rich Cimini had reported, the coach said:
"Aaron and I are on the exact same page. There's no issue between Aaron or his teammates, for that matter. We addressed it yesterday. It's more of an issue for everyone outside the building than it is inside. That's about it."
It will be heartening to Jets fans to see that the issue has been resolved and Robert Saleh and Aaron Rodgers will be singing from the same hymn sheet going into the season.