Aaron Rodgers typically has to deal with the media trying to cause drama. This offseason, the New York Jets’ franchise face had to go through it again.
After deciding to skip mandatory minicamp to take a trip to Egypt that he had planned, the media ripped into him. They have called him selfish, a distraction, and much more. Even though head coach Robert Saleh said that he was “on the same page” with Rodgers, the media kept attacking.
Many teammates have even spoken out about the future Hall of Fame quarterback and fired back at the idea that he is hurting the team with his actions.
Once again, another teammate has spoken out. On NFL Network on Friday, defensive end Jermaine Johnson was the latest to speak out strongly in defense of his quarterback.
“Zero impact. We didn’t care. He had stuff he had to handle.”
Johnson continued forward, reminding the media that Rodgers has attended many voluntary things that he could have skipped without repercussion.
“He was at all the voluntary stuff. It doesn’t really make sense to scrutinize a guy who’s been at all the stuff he didn’t have to be at. Especially a first-ballot Hall of Famer like Aaron Rodgers. He’s a great leader that we all look up to.”
These are all good things to hear. With training camp about to begin, the team is not buying into the narrative that the media tried to spin.
Looking ahead to the upcoming 2024 season, the Jets have the talent, at least on paper, to be an AFC contender. However, their big goal of competing for a Super Bowl does hinge quite a bit on Rodgers’ health and performance.
It will be interesting to see how the 40-year-old quarterback responds to the Achilles injury. Can he come back and pick up where he left off from before the injury? Will he still have his ability to extend plays with his legs and move around in the pocket?
Those are all valid concerns, but Rodgers has always played his best when he is doubted. Predicting other than him continuing that trend would be risky business.
All of that being said, New York appears to be in a good place as a team. No matter what storylines have been thrown out about Rodgers, his teammates like him and he’s in good standing with them.
Source link : https://www.si.com/nfl/jets/news/new-york-jets-teammate-again-shuts-down-aaron-rodgers-drama-evan9
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Publish date : 2024-07-20 17:00:01
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