Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers has remained silent about his true thoughts on owner Woody Johnson’s hasty decision to fire coach Robert Saleh after just five games. Besides protesting (perhaps too much) against the suggestion that Rodgers allowed the termination to happen, Rodgers never said whether he agreed with it or not.
Rodgers appeared on Pat McAfee’s show on Tuesday and made some comments about the firing of Chicago offensive coordinator Shane Waldron. The things Rodgers said, whether he meant it or not, apply to Saleh’s firing in New York.
“Unfortunately, that’s the nature of our competition now, right?” Rodgers said. “It’s the coaches and play-callers on both sides of the ball that aren’t keeping up the season. just not much patience left in the league. It’s, you know, ‘Get this guy out of here.’ Unfortunately, what happens – and I really mean this – is that a lot of it is “rinse and repeat” in the guise of a brand new plan, a brand new approach. And that’s how it goes too often in the competition. There isn’t the patience to say, ‘I believe in X. This person, this plan, this coordinator, this player. And we are going to weather these storms because it will make us a mentally strong group or a mentally strong person. And we’re going to stand behind these people and this is – I don’t care what you have to say outside the building – this is what we’re going to do.
Hmm. Uhm. Good. OK.
“The consensus for all the fans is: ‘If we don’t win now, everyone has to leave,’” Rodgers said. And listen, there are places, I’m sure, that are broken. Locker rooms that may no longer stay together or staff that need a shake up from time to time. But I would continue to preach patience to players and coaches.
“But you know what it starts with? Ownership. Ownership has to come forward and make strong statements. ‘This is the plan, this is what we’re doing. We’re going to trust the process or trust the guys that are there.’ Unless there’s a big problem, an issue, an arrest or something that throws a wrench into the plans.”
Rodgers added that he thinks opinions from “the world of social media” and “the incredible experts who talk about football are actually influencing decision-making at multi-billion dollar organizations.”
All right, Aaron. Then give us your opinion. What was it in New York? Did you preach patience when Saleh was fired? Or was there a “major problem” or “major issue” that threw the plans into disarray?
Rodgers has never been pressured on this point by the tough New York media, who apparently reserve their venom only for those who dare to question whether they have earned their reputation.
Tomorrow they’ll get a chance to ask Rodgers if what he said on McAfee’s show about Chicago applies to New York. And, more specifically, whether Rodgers would have preached patience with Saleh, or whether he believes there was a major problem that derailed the plans.
Folks, he put the ball on the tee for you. If you come to his media availability on Wednesday, are you going to whack it – or are you going to chase me with a nine-iron because I dared to point out that you might not be willing to swing?
