Aaron Rodgers has heaped praise on Robert Saleh following his shock firing as Jets head coach – and blasted accusations that he played a part in it as ‘patently false’.
The Jets made the shock decision to part company with Saleh two days on from their 23-17 defeat to the Minnesota Vikings in London, which proved the final straw for owner Woody Johnson.
Despite being just one win away from top spot in the AFC East, Johnson felt he had no choice but to fire a coach mid-season for the first time in his 25-year ownership and place defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich in interim charge of the team.
The abrupt end of Saleh’s three-and-a-half-year stint in New York has left the spotlight firmly on Rodgers, who is facing heavy scrutiny over his own role in the firing this week.
And amid claims that he urged Johnson to drop the axe, the Super Bowl-winning quarterback instead spoke glowingly about his now-former coach on ESPN’s The Pat McAfee show.
Aaron Rodgers has heaped praise on Robert Saleh following his shock firing as Jets coach
The Jets made the shock decision to part company with Saleh just five games into the season
‘Yesterday was a day that reminds you of the simple fact that all of us who played know all too well… and that’s that it’s a tough business,’ Rodgers said.
‘I love coach Saleh, we have a very solid relationship that we had since I met him in 2021. He was a big reason why I came to the Jets.
‘I felt like the team was a solid team, I had a relationship with coach Hackett obviously, and I really liked coach Saleh.
‘Everything that [Green Bay Packers head coach] Matt LaFleur said about him, the few interactions I had and the times that we went against him… I just had a lot of respect for him.
‘So it was just a reminder yesterday how tough the business is.’
On the ‘ridiculous’ allegations that he instigated the firing, Rodgers fumed: ‘I resent any of those accusations, and they’re patently false.
‘It’s interesting the amount of power people think I have, which I don’t.’
The four-time MVP also expressed his love for Saleh’s family, revealing that he had a close relationship with his son Adam.
Saleh’s relationship with star Rodgers had been under the microscope before his firing
Jets QB blasted claims he was involved in the firing as ‘patently false’ on The Pat McAfee show
Rodgers has failed to breathe new life into the Jets since making his return from injury
‘What people can forget in this is, not only is Robert a fantastic human being and a damn good football coach, he’s also a family man,’ he continued. ‘He’s got seven kids, he’s got an incredible wife, and the business of football can be hard not just on those of us who are playing and coaching, but it’s tough on the families.
‘I’ve got to know Robert’s family over the last couple of years, especially one of his kids, Adam. Adam’s my little throwing buddy from training camp. I love Adam, he’s an incredible kid.
‘So there’s obviously a lot of emotions, but you think about the family and the kids as much as the people you love, your own family, which is the coaching staff.’
Saleh spoke out on his dismissal as Jets head coach earlier on Wednesday, paying tribute to the entire organization and wishing them well for the rest of the season.
The 45-year-old, who sparked controversy by wearing a Lebanon flag during Sunday’s loss to the Vikings, said in a statement, via Adam Schefter: ‘To the Jets Organization, I am grateful to have had the opportunity to work with so many incredible people. I will always be appreciative of the love and support from everyone at 1 Jets Drive.
‘To all of the players, I truly love and appreciate every single one of you. The character of the men in the locker room made coaching you guys the ultimate privilege. Through all the ups and downs, each and every one of you showed up everyday and attacked every moment.
Saleh paid tribute to the Jets organization as a whole in a statement on Wednesday morning
‘To my fellow coaches and staff, it has been an honor to work with all of you. Every one of you were “all in” and made sacrifices for one another that will never be forgotten. I wish you all the very best of luck for the remainder of the season.
‘To the most passionate fan base in the NFL, thank you for embracing my family. It has been a pleasure calling New York our home and we will forever appreciate all of the memories that were created here. With Love and Regard, All Gas No Brake!!!’
Prior to his dismissal, Saleh’s relationship with Rodgers had been under the microscope amid the Jets’ offensive struggles.
The pair appeared to have a heated moment on the sidelines during last month’s comfortable home win over the New England Patriots, only for the quarterback to play down the incident after the game.
There were high hopes for the Jets in 2024 with Rodgers back to full fitness, following the season-ending Achilles injury he suffered four snaps into his highly-anticipated debut last term.
Yet since his eagerly-awaited return, Saleh’s team still struggled offensively in the first five games of the campaign, including in a disastrous 10-9 home loss to the Broncos.
Rodgers has completed 61 percent of his passes and averaged 218.6 yards per game with seven touchdown passes and four interceptions through five games this season.
Rodgers has thrown four interceptions in his first five appearances of the 2024 season
Saleh reportedly planned to axe OC and Rodgers-favorite Nathaniel Hackett before his firing
A Rodgers-led Jets offense has scored as many points through five games as they did last year
Incredibly, though, the Jets offense has scored as many points through five games with the four-time MVP as they did last year with Zach Wilson as quarterback (93).
It has also emerged that Saleh was planning to fire offensive coordinator and long-time Rodgers favorite Nathaniel Hackett before his own departure this week.
Hackett’s offense mustered only nine points in the recent defeat to Denver – the same team that fired him after a 4-11 start in 2022.
He and Rodgers had previously worked together in Green Bay as the decorated quarterback won his third and fourth league MVP awards. But after Rodgers missed all but one offensive series due to injury in 2023, the two have failed to rekindle their success with the Jets in 2024.
Many are now pointing the finger at Rodgers, who threw three interceptions in the defeat to Minnesota, for contributing to the head coach’s shock firing one month into the new season.
ESPN analyst Shannon Sharpe ripped into the 40-year-old in a blistering rant on Tuesday, calling him a ‘bad man’ while suggesting he was responsible for Saleh’s exit.
Many believe Saleh’s plans to axe Hackett may have led to Rodgers instigating his dismissal
‘Saleh didn’t lose this team,’ Sharpe insisted on First Take. ‘Aaron Rodgers undercut this man by not coming to minicamp. We heard the mumbles saying how that looked because it was mandatory.
‘The moment Aaron Rodgers did that, Robert Saleh had no control over the team because the guys would be saying, “This guy is supposed to be our leader, this is the guy we’re supposed to count on.”‘
He added: ‘Boy, this is a bad look on Aaron Rodgers. He doesn’t realize how bad this looks.
‘Can you imagine Tom Brady later in his career getting the coach fired? Can you imagine Peyton Manning later in his career having a coach fired on his watch?
‘That bad man has become more problems than he’s worth.’
