The New York Jets have resembled a soap opera since they fired head coach Robert Saleh on Tuesday. Many people have sounded off about it, but Jets tight end Tyler Conklin made one of the more poignant comments about the situation on Wednesday.

Conklin claims Aaron Rodgers had nothing to do with the firing, via SNY.

“I don't think anybody inside the building thought that he had anything to do with it. I think that's kind of an outside perception of Aaron having some kind of control over those decisions,” Conklin said. “I don't think anybody inside of this building, player-wise or anything, thought that he had anything to do with that. Honestly, I truly believe that Aaron took this harder than almost anybody.”

“One of the main reasons he came here was because of coach Saleh and coach [offensive coordinator Nathaniel] Hackett, the roster they assembled, and what coach Saleh built here. It's not true at all, so that's all I got.”

From the reports of Saleh being escorted out of One Jets Drive before he got to address players, to the rumors about him demoting offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett five minutes beforehand, the rumor mill has been hot in New York. One of the most prominent ones, though, was Rodgers being behind Saleh's ouster.

Does Rodgers truly have mind-boggling power over the organization, or is Conklin correct?

Jets firing Robert Saleh doesn't help Aaron Rodgers

New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh hugs quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) after a touchdown by running back Breece Hall (not pictured) during the second quarter against the New England Patriots at MetLife Stadium.
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While Saleh had an abysmal 20-36 record in New York, his firing won't suddenly fix a Jets offense that's scored just 26 points across their last two games. Rodgers has taken 25 hits and eight sacks during that time, resulting in a low ankle sprain and slight loss of mobility.

While the head coach is responsible for the success of the entire team, New York brought Hackett to call the plays when Rodgers arrived, as the two worked together with the Green Bay Packers. Hackett, though, has been largely ineffective, and the offensive line has been shoddy the last couple of games.

Saleh's defensive mastery helped him build an elite unit on that side of the ball, but his lack of accountability and enthusiasm caught up to him as the losses piled up. Rodgers, though, claims he has nothing but respect for his former coach, via The Pat McAfee Show.

“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,” Rodgers confirmed. “You know, I felt like the team was a solid team, I had a relationship with coach Hackett, obviously. I really liked coach Saleh.”

Whether or not Rodgers' comments were genuine, there was no logical reason for him to orchestrate Saleh's firing.