Aaron Rodgers has caused something of a stir by skipping the New York Jets’ manadatory minicamp this week, with the quarterback’s absence not officially excused by the 1968 Super Bowl champions.
Why didn’t Rodgers attend the Jets’ mandatory minicamp?
The 40-year-old not attending the camp, however, didn’t come as a surprise to head coach Robert Saleh, who told the media on Tuesday the player had already scheduled an event that was “important to him”.
In addition to Rodgers, linebacker Haason Reddick, who was traded to the team at the start of April, was also missing, with Saleh revealing the 29-year-old was “in a really good place mentally, working his tail off like we already know, but he’s choosing to sit out this one. Inexcused”. With Reddick known to be chasing a new contract, the plot thickens.
How much could Rodgers be fined by the Jets?
According to the NFL’s current collective bargaining agreement, players who miss minicamps without an excused absence can be fined $16,953 for the first day, $33,908 for the second day and $50,855 for a third day. As a result, Rodgers, and Reddick, will be hit in the pocket to the tune of $101,716.
There have, inevitably, been different takes on Rodgers choosing to skip the minicamp, with some believing it isn’t the end of the world and certainly not comparable to sitting out a training camp in August, when the season is only a matter of weeks away.
However, despite Saleh’s apparent acceptance of the situation, there doesn’t appear to any chance of the Jets duo being let off the hook when it comes to their financial sanctions.
Rodgers’ tough start to Jets spell
The other view is that the optics don’t look great for Saleh and the Jets for “allowing” key players to miss camps.
The same goes for Rodgers himself, especially given his troubles since making the move to New York after his long spell with the Green Bay Packers.
The quarterback played just one game in his debut NFL season with the Jets in 2023, injuring his left ankle on just his fourth defensive snap in Week 1. He was then diagnosed with an Achilles tendon rupture, which ultimately kept him for the rest of the season with New York failing to reach the postseason.