There is no legitimate reason to believe that Aaron Rodgers had anything to do with the surprising ouster of former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh on Tuesday morning. Every credible report has indicated that owner Woody Johnson made the decision because he believes this team can win now.
However, all of the ongoings within the organization prior to the coaching change led to a widespread belief that the 40-year-old quarterback played a role in the move.
Saleh went to work thinking it would be just another Tuesday after a frustrating loss to the Vikings in London on Sunday. He was called into the owner’s office upon arrival and found out he is unemployed. Not only was the fourth-year head coach completely blindsided by the news, he was promptly escorted off of the premises by security.
Was Aaron Rodgers involved?
Woody Johnson later reiterated that it was his (and only his) call to fire Robert Saleh. It was not at Rodgers’ request.
Jets owner Woody Johnson said he spoke to Aaron Rodgers on Monday night, but it wasn’t about Robert Saleh. Johnson said Rodgers had no input in the decision made this morning.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 8, 2024
Whether or not that is true, the last few weeks certainly made it seem like there was some tension between the head coach and his quarterback that might’ve played a role. The awkwardness started when Rodgers refused a hug from Saleh on the sideline. They later went back and forth over a cadence issue with fingers pointed in both directions.
Even though both parties tried to keep things civil in the public eye and brushed past any potential tiffs, the uncomfortable series of events raised concerns about their relationship.
In addition, Aaron Rodgers previously stated that he would fire his head coach if presented with the opportunity to do so and needed to do so. The admission was part of a conversation with Caleb Pressley of Barstool Sports when he was still a member of the Green Bay Packers. Considering the context and the environment, his semi tongue-in-cheek comment should be considered with a heavy pinch of salt.
He still said it!
Rodgers stated “yes” in response to Pressley’s question about whether he would fire his head coach.
As NFL fans continue to run wild with conspiracy theories about the New York Jets’ coaching change, this 15-second clip will only fuel those fires. At the very least, it is even funnier now than it was before.