Dec 17, 2023; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) looks on from the sideline against the Miami Dolphins during the fourth quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
NFL: New York Jets at Miami Dolphins
(New York, NY) – Is he campaigning with RFK Jr.? Taking ayahuasca on a retreat somewhere? Perhaps he’s jetted off to see Taylor Swift? All of these – and more – have been suggested as potential theories behind QB Aaron Rodgers’ “unexcused absence” at New York Jets minicamp.
During the Mets game on Wednesday night, the SNY broadcast team openly mused that Rodgers may be hunkered down with his sports-talk buddy Pat McAfee. “That’d probably be among the best options,” on-the-field host (and noted Jets fan) Steve Gelbs deadpanned.
But according to radio host Colin Cowherd, grown men should never wear their baseball hat backwards. Wait – no – that’s another one of his tired takes. In this case he’s musing about Rodgers absence, as he did during his radio show on Wednesday.
Rodgers apparently had told head coach Robert Saleh he had an “event” he had to attend, leading to the missed practice. That didn’t cut any ice with Cowherd. “Why BS? An event?” Cowherd wondered.
“I was told last night, from a source I trust, Aaron’s on vacation, and it’s overseas. Don’t be surprised. This is sort of what you would expect. Impulsive owner, new GM, coach with a losing record, prickly, older, at times arrogant, disconnected quarterback, in New York City, with a pretty relentless and inarguably massive press corps.”
It’s questionable whether or not the New York press corps is “relentless,” but it’s definitely massive. And the “Jets for clicks” strategy is in full swing here in June. Anything negative surrounding Gang Green leads to online engagement, and the sports scribes know it.
Cowherd continued to imply Rodgers is a diva who is acting on brand: “This is what you get. … I’m told you’ll learn about where he’s at (Thursday). I don’t wanna burn my source [but] I’m told you’ll learn about it tomorrow.”
Cowherd left open the “Taylor Swift concert” theory as a possibility: “Maybe he is at an event. [I] Can’t believe there’s something overseas that would take seven, eight, nine days… Again, maybe they have a music festival. … “I was told he’s overseas. And I was told tomorrow people will find out where he was overseas. Is he still there? Did he come back to the country? [Why] Did Saleh have to say ‘unexcused absence’? Don’t you just keep that to yourself? Isn’t that just poking Aaron?”
The drama never ends for the Jets, and this time – it’s way before even summer training camp has gotten underway.
