Aaron Rodgers addresses decision to skip Jets minicamp

Florham Park, NJ May 31, 2023 — Aaron Rodgers during the Jets OTA. Photo Credit: Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

Aaron Rodgers made headlines last month when he did not attend mandatory minicamp with the New York Jets, and the former MVP has finally addressed the absence.

Rodgers spoke about his decision to skip minicamp and a wide range of other topics during an appearance on the “Pardon My Take” podcast that was released on Monday. After sharing a few jokes with hosts PFT Commenter and Big Cat about the reactions to Rodgers missing practice, the star quarterback provided some actual insight into his thought process.

“The thing that people don’t understand was that when I was in the NFC North years ago there used to be a real thing called minicamp where it was … it was five practices in three days. Now it’s not minicamp,” Rodgers said. “They can arbitrarily put a tag on whatever week of OTAs they want and say this is the minicamp week which makes it more mandatory than the other weeks. But it was an OTA schedule.

“That’s how words can be a little deceiving from time to time. It can make a story about how I missed a minicamp when it was really two OTA days. I came to the first 10.”

Aaron Rodgers on @PardonMyTake about all the noise about him skipping #Jets minicamp for a trip to Egypt:

“The thing that people don’t understand was that when I was in the NFC North years ago there used to be a real thing called minicamp where it was … it was five practices…

— Zack Rosenblatt (@ZackBlatt) July 22, 2024

The Jets said Rodgers communicated to them that he had to attend an event that was very important to him, but the team still made it clear publicly that the minicamp absence was not excused. We later learned that the 40-year-old was on a trip to Egypt that he supposedly planned before the offseason schedule came out. Rodgers believed at the time he planned the trip that it would not overlap with mandatory practice.

Either way, Rodgers clearly does not think it is a big deal that he missed minicamp. He was with the Jets throughout the rest of OTAs, and he doesn’t feel any of those sessions were less significant than the mandatory ones.