Julian Edelman has openly expressed his disapproval of Aaron Rodgers’ absence from the New York Jets’ recent minicamp.
During an interview on “The Herd with Colin Cowherd,” the former New England Patriots receiver articulated his concerns regarding Rodgers’ absence, labeling it as problematic, particularly from a leadership standpoint.
“I think it’s a bad look for your leader, for whatever reason, to go and miss [a mandatory minicamp],” Edelman remarked. He then reflected on his time with Tom Brady, noting that although Brady occasionally skipped OTAs in his later years, he never missed a mandatory minicamp. To Edelman, this distinction was significant, suggesting a commitment to team leadership and presence during crucial team activities.
Edelman expanded on his point by highlighting the potential repercussions of such absences on team morale and cohesion, especially in a sport where practice time is already limited by the collective bargaining agreement. “I’m a big Aaron Rodgers fan, but if I was in that locker room, and Aaron Rodgers wasn’t there for three days on the mandatory minicamp, having played only four snaps off of an injury, when we have two new receivers, a bunch of new linemen that we added to the team, with a CBA that doesn’t allow us to practice a lot, I guarantee there’s four or five guys — six, seven, eight, nine guys in that locker room — sitting there like, ‘Where’s he at?'” he explained.
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Rodgers’ absence was notably unexcused and spanned multiple days of minicamp, further complicating the situation.
While the specific reasons for his absence have not been disclosed, reports from SNY’s Connor Hughes suggest that Rodgers prefers to keep the reasons private due to “security reasons.”
Rodgers, who missed almost the entire 2023 season due to a torn Achilles suffered early in the Jets’ season opener, was a critical part of the team’s high aspirations last year.
Unfortunately, his early-season injury and subsequent absence were setbacks for a Jets team that struggled to a 7-10 record, extending their postseason drought to 13 years.
Looking forward, there is hope that a fully recovered Rodgers will be able to lead the team more effectively.
However, his recent absence from mandatory minicamp introduces an element of uncertainty and stress as the team prepares for the upcoming season, underlining the need for strong leadership and presence to foster team unity and readiness.
