New York (AFP) – New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers on Wednesday rejected reports that he played a role in the firing of the team’s head coach Robert Saleh. Jets owner Woody Johnson axed Saleh after the team slumped to a defeat to the Minnesota Vikings in London on Sunday, falling to a 2-3 record for the season. Saleh had been in the role at the Jets since 2021 but had been unable to reach the post-season in any of his three full seasons in charge.
Some media reports had suggested that Rodgers had been behind the decision, but speaking on ESPN’s Pat McAfee Show, the former Green Bay Packer dismissed those claims. “I love Coach Saleh, we have a very solid relationship, we have since I met him in 2021. He was a big reason why I came to the Jets. I felt like the team was a solid team,” he said. “Like I said, I came to New York, part of the reason was how much I believe in Robert Saleh,” he added.
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Some reports said that Rodgers had been unhappy with a plan by Saleh to demote offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, who had previously worked with Rodgers at Green Bay. “As far as any of the ridiculous allegations out there, I’m not going to spend more than one sentence in response to it and that is that I resent any of those accusations because they are patently false. It’s interesting the amount of power that people think that I have, which I don’t,” he added.
Rodgers sat out last season after suffering an Achilles tendon injury early in the first game of the season, but the hopes that the Jets would click with his return have been frustrated. Rodgers was fined after skipping a mandatory minicamp in June to travel to Egypt. There was also a public disagreement about the reasons for five false starts during the 10-9 loss to the Denver Broncos.
But Rodgers said he was grateful for the chance to work with Saleh. “I’m thankful for Robert, I’m thankful for his leadership of our team, I’m thankful for the conversations that we were able to have, and him trusting me, and the way he cared about his players,” added the quarterback.
Jeff Ulbrich has been appointed interim head coach for the rest of the season, starting with Monday’s home game against AFC East divisional rivals, the Buffalo Bills.
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