Aaron Rodgers decided to skip the mandatory mini-camp in New York for an “unexcused” reason and got most of the Jets fandom enraged. While it seems frustration over this misstep will cost Rodgers, and some are unhappy with his decision, he found an unlikely supporter in UNDISPUTED co-host Keyshawn Johnson.
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According to the Athletic, the Jets QB is planning to skip the mandatory minicamp all week, totaling his fines to over $100,000. And while many are concerned over this development, considering how Rodgers’ debut season with the Jets went, Keyshawn Johnson doesn’t think it is a big deal. Speaking on UNDISPUTED, he said,
“He’s been a rock-solid model citizen teammate since leaving Green Bay for the New York Jets. He’s done everything last year. He didn’t have to be there when he tore his Achilles but he was on the sidelines, he was participating, he was doing things he did not have to do.”
Last year, Rodgers was spotted on the sidelines during multiple Jets games, despite his torn Achilles. Citing this dedication from the QB, Johnson argues that the Jets quarterback has shown his reliability multiple times to the team, thus making his absence from the minicamp a non-issue.
Furthermore, the former WR downplayed the importance of the minicamp as he called it a weekend “extension of the OTAs.” And while Rodgers might be missing from the mandatory events, he already participated in the voluntary activities, throwing the ball with his teammates and participating in drills. Which, at the end of the day, is the main purpose of these activities.
Interestingly enough, Johnson’s co-host for the day Paul Pierce shared the same sentiment, deeming Rodgers’ absence a non-issue.
Paul Pierce Echoes Johnson’s Thoughts About Aaron Rodgers’ Minicamp Absence
Former Boston Celtics star, Paul Piece, said something similar to Keyshawn Johnson while discussing Aaron Rodgers’s no-show at Jets mini-camp. First of all, Pierce believes Rodgers is a veteran NFL player with a good track record, which gives him the impunity to skip a few days of minicamp.
Secondly, Pierce highlighted how Rodgers already attended 6 voluntary OTA sessions, even when he didn’t have to, and so must have a genuine reason to skip the mandatory portion of the off-season. Not to mention, there are a couple more months left in the off-season to catch up on training.
More importantly for Pierce, Rodgers kept his Head Coach in the loop and had a conversation with him about missing the minicamp. According to Saleh, the Jets QB informed him of his absence due to a prior engagement and he already knew of his plans.
As Johnson and Pierce point out, the only time this is going to be an issue is when the Jets fail to deliver during the regular season. In which case, they think this is going to come back and bite Rodgers. Even still, they believe, the Jets QB has done his part, and his absence is not predictive of how the season is going to go for him.
