Aaron Rodgers addresses talk of rift with Jets coach Robert Saleh

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

The relationship between Aaron Rodgers and New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh has been micro-analyzed for quite some time, but the star quarterback continues to insist there are no issues.

Rodgers seemed openly annoyed with a suggestion Saleh made following the New York Jets’ 10-9 to the Denver Broncos at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., on Sunday. The Jets committed five false start penalties in the game, and Saleh suggested the offense might need to dial back the cadence. Rodgers had a strong response and said players should be held accountable for their mistakes instead.

During his Tuesday appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” Rodgers was asked about the disagreement. He once again emphasized that he is not worried about outside noise.

“There’s always gonna be messaging and narratives out there and you have two choices: You can ride the wave — really a rollercoaster — or you can say f– it, I don’t care. I’m the latter,” Rodgers said. “I don’t get into the conversations going on outside the building around myself, the relationships I have. The most important ones are looking a guy in the eye in the locker room or the meeting room and knowing he’s got your back, you’ve got his back.

“Rob and I have a great relationship. We have since day one when I got here. We have text message conversations, threads that we’re in, conversations about a number of topics outside of football. We’ve got a good friendship.”

You can hear the comments, but be aware that the clip contains some inappropriate language:

"Rob and I have a great relationship and we have since day one when I got here..

We have a good friendship" ~ @AaronRodgers12 #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/SrSc5Ef5cT

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) October 1, 2024

Rodgers has long been a master at getting opponents to jump offsides. He does that with a loud cadence that requires a lot of discipline from his teammates. That discipline was not there on Sunday.

Rodgers clearly does not think walking back the cadence is the answer for the Jets. For what it’s worth, Saleh seems to have gotten the message from future Hall of Fame quarterback.