New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers on Wednesday refuted speculation that he played a role in the firing of head coach Robert Saleh.
“I resent any of those accusations because they’re patently false,” Rodgers said on “The Pat McAfee Show” when asked if he played a role in Saleh’s dismissal.
“Yesterday was a day that reminds you of the simple fact that all of us who played know all too well, it’s a tough business,” Rodgers said. “I love Coach Saleh, we have a very solid relationship. He was a big reason why I came to the Jets.”
When discussing Saleh, Rodgers spent most of his time saying he felt for Saleh’s family, adding that his former coach’s son Adam was his throwing partner during training camp.
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“Anybody who is championing this decision, I would just appeal to the humanity of the decision,” Rodgers said, adding: “Not only is Robert a fantastic human being and damn good football coach, he’s also a family man.” Rodgers said he was in the training room when he heard the news of Saleh’s firing. The quarterback suffered a low ankle sprain during a loss to the Minnesota Vikings in London on Sunday. He confirmed that Jets owner Woody Johnson called him on Monday night — the day before Saleh was fired — but only to discuss his health and performance.
New York fired Saleh after the loss to the Vikings dropped them to 2-3, though the team is only one game behind the Buffalo Bills for first place in the AFC East.
Rodgers has struggled so far this season. He’s thrown for seven touchdowns but four interceptions — which would match or exceed the total number of interceptions he threw in multiple seasons earlier in his career.
Excluding his 2023 campaign which was cut short after only four plays, Rodgers’s current completion percentage of 61.0% is his worst since 2015. And his passer rating of 81.6 would be his worst since he became a full-time starter in 2008. There have been apparent tensions between Rodgers and Saleh during the season, so far. The Jets committed five false start penalties in a loss to the Denver Broncos. After the game, Saleh said they could be linked to the tricky cadence Rodgers uses.
And in a win over the New England Patriots, Rodgers appeared to rebuff an attempted hug from Saleh after a touchdown. Rodgers said after that game that he didn’t realize Saleh was going in for the embrace because “he’s not a big hugger.”
