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Even though he only played four plays last year, it doesn’t mean he wasn’t forming an opinion on his new coach over the course of the season.
On April 26, 2023, legendary quarterback Aaron Charles Rodgers was traded to the New York Jets for draft picks.
While he got hurt on the first series of the Jets opener of the 2023 season against Buffalo, he has been working for the Jets for about a year and a half, so he certainly has formed an opinion on Jets coach Robert Saleh.
Remember, when the Jets met with Rodgers in Malibu at the quarterback’s house on March 8, 2023, before the trade, it was reportedly Saleh who did most of the talking with the QB in the long meeting.
“[Rodgers] spent most of his time with Saleh in that meeting – everybody else was kind of hanging out on that backyard deck overlooking the Pacific Ocean,” said Ian O’Connor, who just published a book on Rodgers. O’Connor said this recently during an appearance on FS1.
Rogers and Saleh reportedly hit it off in the meeting.
While on FS1, O’Connor was asked by the host if the relationship between Saleh and Rogers is as strong now, as it was when the QB first arrived.
“I don’t think it is. [Rodgers] didn’t say that, I want to make that clear,” O’Connor said.
Aside from interviewing over 200 people for the book, O’Connor interviewed Rodgers for a couple of hours after last season.
“I think [Rodgers] still likes [Saleh],” O’Connor said during that interview on FS1. “I think he has some belief in him, not as much as when he signed on.”
Why does O’Connor think that is the case?
“Aaron certainly has to question this guy’s ability as a head coach,” O’Connor said. “I think he’s a great guy. And I think he’s a guy, if I were an owner of an NFL team, I would want to employ him, but as a defensive coordinator. He has not proven that he can be a good head coach. He hasn’t done it. Aaron knows that. I think he still has some belief in him, not as much as when he signed on.”
These quotes are interesting.
O’Connor did say in that first quote: “[Rodgers] didn’t say that, I want to make that clear.”
But, at this point, after all the research O’Connor did on the book, and after talking to Rodgers for a couple of hours, few people have more insight on this man than O’Connor.
And I want to make it clear before I continue that I have no idea what Rodgers thinks of Saleh. None.
I’m just writing an article on O’Connor’s comments.
However, you don’t have to know the parties involved to realize that Saleh needs to take his game to another level as Jets coach this year.
While some of it wasn’t his fault since he lacked a true answer at QB for most of his first three years, Saleh is 18-33 as Jets coach.
But nonetheless, some would argue perhaps his team needs more accountability and discipline this year.
Conducting the toughest training camp of his tenure with the team is perhaps a sign that he realizes that.
September 2, 2024
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