Jets QB Aaron Rodgers Skips Mandatory Mini Camp: Fines Loom

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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.

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