The New York Jets returned home from England with a 2-3 record on Sunday night.
Their leadership structure was intact through Monday before team owner Woody Johnson fired head coach Robert Saleh on Tuesday.
In the interim, Johnson called quarterback Aaron Rodgers on Monday night.
Pair the timing of that conversation with a few public disagreements between Rodgers and Saleh, and questions swirled about the four-time MVP’s role in the dismissal.
Speaking Wednesday afternoon on “The Pat McAfee Show,” Rodgers called the allegations “ridiculous.”
“I resent any of those accusations because they’re patently false,” Rodgers said. “It’s interesting the amount of power people think I have. Which I don’t. I love Robert and it was one of those days yesterday.”
Rodgers thanked Saleh for his leadership during his roughly hour-long interview with McAfee, citing Saleh as a “big reason why I came to the Jets” and saying “we have a very solid relationship.”
Aaron Rodgers talking about the Saleh family and the “humanity” after Jets fired HC Robert Saleh.
“I love Coach Saleh. We have a very solid relationship. We have since I met him in 2021…He was a big reason why I came to the Jets.” pic.twitter.com/DVquguX7dA
— Jori Epstein (@JoriEpstein) October 9, 2024
He said “nothing was abnormal” about Johnson’s call to him Monday night, noting the team owner called after his Achilles surgery last year and during his rehabilitation process.
Johnson and Rodgers said they discussed Sunday’s 23-17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, Rodgers breaking 60,000 yards passing, and the hits he took, including one that sprained his left ankle.
Both men said they did not discuss Saleh’s future, a decision they say was Johnson’s alone.
“Woody has no obligation to let me know what his plans are,” Rodgers said. “Whether or not he knew what he was doing in that moment was inconsequential.”
Either way, his players would find out soon after.
‘Aaron probably took this harder than anybody’
Rodgers was receiving treatment at the facility Tuesday morning when the news alert came through. Right tackle Morgan Moses was working out. Punter Thomas Morstead received a text from his neighbor, who saw the alert before the 16-year veteran did.
Soon the players’ leadership council met with co-team owners Woody and Chris Johnson, Jeff Ulbrich joining afterward amid his promotion from defensive coordinator to interim coach.
The leadership council convened a players-only meeting before Ulbrich led a team meeting, conversations concluding by position group.
Players stressed accountability, reminding each other that their performance directly impacts each other’s job security. They expressed their vulnerability amid what Morstead called the “natural instability” when the head coach who advocated for many of their roster spots is no longer there.
“We hold each other’s careers in our hands, so to speak,” Morstead said during a Wednesday virtual interview. “We’re not just playing for ourselves.”
Rodgers expressed his regret for Saleh’s wife and children as they navigate the dismissal, particularly Saleh’s son Adam whom Rodgers had thrown with during training camp.
“There’s the humanity in all this,” Rodgers said. “There’s a family and extended family that’s really hurting. So when you’re out there … celebrating this, just remember there’s a human aspect to it.”
Players noted the unusual timing and nature of Saleh’s dismissal and the subsequent players-only meeting. The team is not deep into the season, eliminated from the playoffs. If they beat the Buffalo Bills in a Monday night home game, the Jets will be in first place in the AFC East. Their playoff goals are well within reach and controlling their playoff path could be realistic as soon as Monday.
Rodgers, Morstead and Moses were among those sharing that message in Tuesday’s players-only meeting, tight end Tyler Conklin said.
Conklin also noted how Saleh’s dismissal “weighed heavy on Rodgers,” further convincing players that narratives about his role in Saleh’s firing were misplaced.
“Aaron probably took this harder than anybody,” Conklin said. “One of the main reasons he came here was because of Coach Saleh and [offensive coordinator Nathaniel] Hackett — the roster they assembled and what Coach Saleh built here.
“It’s not true at all.”
What next for Jets ahead of prime-time game vs. Bills?
Neither Rodgers nor Moses answered one of the biggest remaining questions Wednesday: who will call plays for the Jets moving forward.
Hackett has come under fire for the Jets’ 27th-ranked offense.
Johnson made a coaching change because he believed his talent was capable of more than its coaches were extracting. The second-ranked defense was not the emphasis of that problem.
“We’re going to make changes wherever changes are due,” Woody Johnson said Tuesday on a call with reporters. “We know where we’re weak and where we’re strong. And so do you.”
Rodgers said he would support changes Ulbrich recommends when asked about Hackett, who coached him also at the Green Bay Packers.
Jeff Ulbrich says he expects “these guys are going to be here” for MNF but no long-term certainty on Jets OC.
“This has been 4 hours fresh for me to take this role on. Everything will be assessed-the process, the responsibilities, etc. I do not foresee any changes in the staff.” pic.twitter.com/i0nvHkJt9H
— Jori Epstein (@JoriEpstein) October 8, 2024
“Our relationship is great,” Rodgers said of his offensive coordinator. “It always has been and always will be. There was going to be some things that needed to change regardless of what happened to Robert. We just haven’t been playing consistent football on offense. As we know, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.
“[Ulbrich] and I have talked a couple times. I’m on board with whatever he decides as far as the offense goes. I want to do what’s best for the team. We’re throwing our support behind Coach Ulbrich and whatever he believes is best for the team, we’re going to go with.”
Moses said “no we haven’t” yet been told who will call plays as of Wednesday afternoon.
“But being a veteran guy and being in multiple systems, it doesn’t matter what play is called or who is calling plays,” Moses said. “It’s up to us to go out there and make those plays.”
Rodgers said he was the first one who needs to play better after throwing three interceptions, including a pick 6, in the loss to the Vikings. He said “great coaches have great players,” and it was time for his roster to step up.
The extra day between games allowed them time to process their emotions before they hope to turn energies Thursday toward beating the Bills.
“This was definitely a wake-up call and an eye-opener for a lot of people,” linebacker C.J. Mosley said. “We had a crack in our foundation. It might have had some trickle-down effect.
“But it won’t tear down our house if we build it back up right.”
Rodgers voiced his commitment to that goal.
“There’s always going to be narratives out there and conversations out there about what I think and how much power I have and how much influence I have,” he said. “I care about my teammates, I care about winning. I’m accountable to myself and my organization and my teammates. I got to play better. I will. And we’re getting behind [Ulbrich] and there will be some changes with this.
“That’s the direction we’re going to go.”