Much has been made of quarterback Aaron Rodgers missing the New York Jets’ mandatory minicamp, and now details are emerging as to why.
The former Green Bay superstar was hailed as the savior of a struggling franchise with some talent when he arrived in the Big Apple last year.
But Rodgers suffered a torn Achilles just four offensive plays into the season, temporarily ending his hopes for a rebirth in New York.
Then came his absence from the team’s mandatory minicamp.
SNY reported that Rodgers was absent due to a pre-planned visit to Egypt, and the outlet revealed that several Jets players had no issue with his absence.
#Jets QB Aaron Rodgers missed the team’s mandatory minicamp because of a pre-planned trip to Egypt, multiple sources told @snytv.
He attended every day of Phase 1, missed just one week of Phase 2, and attended every OTA practice (structured the same as the two minicamp… pic.twitter.com/fPtyMtey59
— Connor Hughes (@Connor_J_Hughes) July 1, 2024
Rodgers apparently made plans for the trip to Egypt while recovering from Achilles surgery, believing that the timing would fall after the Jets minicamp.
While the absence is unexcused, team officials told SNY that they do not believe it will affect the team’s preparation for the fall season.
Several players noted that the future Hall of Famer attended the voluntary portion of minicamp, and they expressed surprise that there are some outside of the organization who found fault with the trip.
SNY further noted that the team handled the excursion quietly to avoid giving other players the impression that they, too, might be able to forego the minicamp.
The Jets have high hopes for 2024 with Rodgers under center and a talented defensive unit.
The early schedule is also favorable as it is littered with several games the team should be favored to win.
If those are won and the team gets out of the gates strong, all will likely be forgotten.
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