Aaron Rodgers' absence from the New York Jets' minicamp this week has everyone buzzing. New York head coach Robert Saleh indicated Tuesday morning that Rodgers is subject to a fine for an “unexcused” absence, though, he did not reveal the exact nature of the quarterback's nonappearance at the minicamp.
While some Jets fans may feel a little concerned about Rodgers' absence, New York running back Breece Hall doesn't seem to be affected by it. Breece remains confident in the future Hall of Famer's commitment to the Jets.
“He’s still trying to come back, still get back to feeling right from his injury and everything. I know he’s working his tail off. Whether he’s here or not, I know he’s all in,” Breece told reporters (h/t Rich Cimini of ESPN).
Saleh noted that Rodgers communicated with the Jets even before the OTAs and that the quarterback let the team know about the “important” event that he was going to miss Tuesday's minicamp for. That being said, the Jets quarterback is still subject to a fine for his action based on the Collective Bargaining Agreement. But whether New York does demand him to pay a fine or not isn't the main issue; it's that Rodgers, the quarterback the Jets thought would rescue the franchise from a long playoff slumber, isn't with the team while most other NFL teams have their quarterbacks showing up to work this week.
New York added Rodgers to the fold in April 2023 via a trade with the Green Bay Packers. The Jets sent a 2023 first-rounder that turned out to be Lukas Van Ness, a 2023 second-rounder that became Luke Musgrave, a 2023 sixth-round pick which eventually conveyed into Anders Carlson, and a 2024 second-rounder (traded). Along with Rodgers, the Jets also got a 2023 first-rounder from the Packers that translated into Will McDonald.
At the same time, it is worth noting that Rodgers is still working his way back from a serious lower-body injury that ended his 2023 NFL season with the Jets before it could even take off. Rodgers appeared in just four snaps in the very first New York game in the 2023 campaign versus the Buffalo Bills at home before going down with a torn Achilles injury. The hope for Jets fans Rodgers' minicamp absence is not related to some bad update about his recovery from the said injury.
Before getting sent to the Jets, Rodgers passed for 3,695 yards to go with 26 touchdowns and 12 interceptions on a 64.6 percent pass completion rate during what turned out to be his final season in Green Bay uniform back in 2022.
The Jets struggled in 2023 without Aaron Rodgers
With Rodgers barely seeing action for the Jets in 2023, New York struggled to stay consistent on the field, particularly on offense. Zach Wilson was forced to make several starts in lieu of Rodgers but failed to deliver. He had eight touchdowns against eight interceptions while also getting sacked a total of 46 times through 12 appearances. With Wilson orchestrating under center most of the time for New York, the team finished the season just 29th in the league with 15.8 points per game.
Hall was a bright spot for New York's attack, as he led the Jets with 994 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 223 rushing attempts.
The Jets, who have not been to the playoffs in all of the last 13 seasons, will kick off their 2023 NFL campaign on Sep. 9 on the road versus the San Francisco 49ers.
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