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00:00How we love a little off-season drama around the National Football League, mandatory minicamp
00:09going around the National Football League this week, and mandatory being that vital
00:14word.
00:15If you do not show up, you might be subject to fines for whatever reason, if it's a non-excused
00:22absence.
00:24So yesterday, when Robert Sulla took the microphone stand to say that Aaron Rodgers was not attending
00:30mandatory minicamp this week for the New York Jets and that it was an unexcused absence
00:36and Aaron Rodgers would be subject to fines, it made it a little bit of interesting conjecture
00:43for an event that is, quote, important to him.
00:49That is Aaron Rodgers.
00:51So Aaron Rodgers not at mandatory minicamp for the New York Jets.
00:54Donnie, is it a big deal?
00:57It's not a big deal, but the optics are terrible.
01:00Now also, you're trying to get the whole full squad together for a couple days to install
01:03some things on offense and defense, and when the quarterback's not there, that sticks out.
01:07And also, this isn't a quarterback with a track record with the New York Jets of going,
01:11hey man, I was here one year, I won a Super Bowl, I'm going to take some time off and
01:15everybody's going to be okay with it.
01:16But also, the optics of your head coach basically standing up and like, it's unexcused, yep,
01:21by the CBA, he will be fined for this.
01:23But yet we don't get any answers on where he actually is.
01:26All we're getting off, this is an event that's very important to Aaron and he felt he needed
01:30to be there.
01:31We haven't found out what that event is because I'm sure we'll find out sooner than later
01:34and we'll have a lot of fun with it.
01:36But the optics are terrible.
01:37But let's get something straight right now.
01:40Aaron Rodgers missing a practice on June 11th and June 12th has no bearing on the way they're
01:45going to plan out their season.
01:47It's not as if he's like, you know what Ben, I'm with the Jets, I haven't showed up to
01:51any OTAs, voluntary or mandatory, I'll see you guys in training camp.
01:55He's been there every step of the way.
01:57It's his offense.
01:58He's not missing anything that he's not going to get when he comes back here in forms of
02:01a playbook or new plays here.
02:03We love to make a big do out of nothing in the offseason, which really is, but it's fun
02:07still to talk about at the same time.
02:10And that is a key component of this.
02:12Aaron Rodgers has been a member of these offseason programs that the New York Jets have undertaken
02:17the last few weeks and months.
02:19He was at OTAs.
02:21He was there as the guys got back in the facility and it's mandatory mini camp, but it's really
02:27two practices yesterday and this afternoon as well.
02:32But for an individual that stated at the end of last season that if the Jets want to have
02:38success entering 2024, they need to forego and get rid of every single distraction that
02:45has not football inside that organization.
02:49He seemingly only can be a distraction.
02:52He was going to run for the vice presidency a couple of months ago, and now he is skipping
02:58out on mandatory mini camp.
02:59Donnie is spot on.
03:00It's not a big deal.
03:01It does not actually impact the football the New York Jets are going to play or how many
03:06points the offense led by Aaron Rodgers is going to score this season.
03:11But it is mentality and it serves as whether fair or unfair to start this speculation.
03:18Another distraction for a guy that pretty much has to look around and it's the hot dog
03:23suit meme from I think you should leave.
03:26Whose fault is this?
03:27It's on Aaron Rodgers and that seems to be the issue for the New York Jets.
03:32Yes.
03:33And also, let's keep in mind the timeline of Aaron Rodgers with the Jets.
03:37Obviously, once he played two, three plays on opening night, gets injured, swears to
03:40the Jets.
03:41He's going to make one of the fastest recoveries we've ever seen for a quarterback and Achilles
03:44injury.
03:45Don't you dare go out and get another quarterback here that might take my shine.
03:48They took his advice.
03:50He never comes back.
03:51But also, let's face forward to the end of this season.
03:53Every decision that made makes between the Jets and Aaron Rodgers typically feels like
03:57it's Aaron Rodgers.
03:58And don't remember at the end of the season.
04:00Hey, by the way, kick this guy off who's just trying to make a living because I want to
04:04come throw a couple of slant passes in practice this final week.
04:07And it comes out as Aaron Rodgers, Ben, basically telling us what?
04:10That was it.
04:11I had no idea that decision was actually going to be.
04:14No, Aaron, you actually made that decision and just got upset that it came out that a
04:18guy just trying to make a living gets kicked off the team because you wanted to put a jersey
04:22on a practice and throw three slant passes and hang out with your boys at that point
04:26here.
04:27So let's not forget he runs that organization and continually does so.
04:30So we're expecting big dividends this year.
04:32We'll see if they get it.
04:33But this has been a rocky start for the Jets here early on in Donny injury aside for Aaron
04:39Rodgers, the investment into Aaron Rodgers to bring him over from Green Bay.
04:45Now he is 40 years old with all that has been invested in Aaron with all the decisions that
04:52he is clearly influenced that Daniel Hackett, the offensive coordinator.
04:56So many of the members of that offense and roster a year ago and into 2024, if it does
05:02not work out this season and what exactly does work out mean?
05:07What is that standard of success that would make it all worth it?
05:11The New York Jets have set back their franchise by bare minimum five years.
05:15What does it really matter for an organization that has failed to make the postseason for
05:1913 consecutive years?
05:21If they're behind the eight ball by five more, but it must end at bare minimum in a
05:27playoff appearance this year for gang green to even say, yeah, I guess in the end it was
05:33kind of worth it.
05:35They are favored to make the postseason at minus 176.
05:39The wind total is nine and a half.
05:40The over has the juice expected to win double digit games.
05:45I remain skeptical.
05:47Do you?
05:49I'm skeptical because of the injury.
05:51I'm not skeptical because of the talent that I still think Aaron Rodgers has and also the
05:54quality of a team that the Jets are going to put on the field.
05:57If he stays, imagine if he stayed healthy last year and just played average Aaron Rodgers
06:01football, they would have made the playoffs.
06:02But the expectations of we have to get to the AFC championship game and or get to the
06:06Super Bowl and win it.
06:08I'm not just there.
06:09But also, if we're taking a look at the floor level expectations, it must be you're in the
06:14playoffs and you win at least one round here.
06:17That's to say, OK, this was somewhat of a success, but they didn't get Aaron Rodgers
06:21here, Ben.
06:22Right.
06:23When they made that move, they said, let's bring him to town.
06:24Hey, hopefully we get to the playoffs.
06:25Their aspirations right off the bat were Super Bowl that got dashed in the first drive of
06:30their season.
06:31They should win double digit games or get close to it.
06:33They should be in the playoffs and should win a game.
06:35That's a good team with a good quarterback.
06:37Let's see how they progress.
06:38But also, you want to get the football things and keep that the main thing.
06:42They're not doing that right now for the Jets.
06:44And we'll see how that New York media feeds off of it.
06:47I said bare minimum to justify any of this reach the playoffs.
06:50I think Donnie is more accurate.
06:52It's probably a spot in the AFC championship game that would be that level of success that
06:57reaches expectation.
06:59Aaron Rodgers, who won back to back MVP awards in 2020 and 2021, had his worst statistical
07:06season in twenty twenty two.
07:08And then, of course, only four offensive snaps a year ago.
07:11Oh, Christian McCaffrey, by the way, named the cover athlete for Madden twenty five.
07:16Got a raise last week.
07:17Cover athlete this week on Madden twenty five.