After telling the New York Jets they needed to cut out the distractions, quarterback Aaron Rodgers continued to add to the distractions by skipping out on the team's mandatory minicamp. He did so after attending all of the optional offseason activities, but his absence from the mandatory session was still seen as unexcused by the Jets.
Julian Edelman, a former Super Bowl MVP with the New England Patriots, thinks that is a terrible look for Rodgers.
He discussed it during an appearance with Colin Cowherd this week and said if they start the season with a 1-3 record it is going to be a huge distraction.
Rodgers arrived in New York prior to the 2023 season and was supposed to turn the Jets into an instant Super Bowl contender. So far his entire tenure with the team has been one giant circus.
He was injured just four plays into the 2023 season and then spent most of the remainder of the year teasing a potential return that never happened. He continued to be a distraction off the field throughout the offseason due to his wild interviews and conspiracy theories and then ducked out of the first mandatory training session of the offseason.
At the end of the day, it's probably not a huge deal. Minicamps are more for rookies and new players than they are for seasoned veterans. But despite Rodgers' experience in the NFL, he has almost no experience with the Jets given his injury and the fact he has practically not played for the team. Every extra rep and practice session can still have some value.
Edelman spent more than a decade with the New England Patriots and was the MVP of their 13-3 Super Bowl LIII win over the Los Angeles Rams during the 2018 NFL season. He caught 10 passes for 141 yards in that game.
