Aaron Rodgers firmly stated that he had no involvement in the firing of Robert Saleh as the New York Jets coach, calling those claims “patently false.”
The star quarterback appeared on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Wednesday, just a day after Jets owner Woody Johnson let Saleh go following the team’s 2-3 start in the coach’s fourth season.
Some media and fans speculated that Rodgers might have influenced Johnson, who said during a conference call Tuesday that the decision was “my decision and my decision alone.”
Johnson has named defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich as the interim head coach for the rest of the season.
“As far as any of the ridiculous allegations out there, I’m not going to spend more than one sentence in response to it,” Rodgers said. “And that is I resent any of those accusations because they’re patently false. And it’s interesting the amount of power that people think that I have, which I don’t.”
Rodgers confirmed he spoke to Johnson on Monday night during a “nice call,” but he said the owner only asked how he was feeling after spraining his left ankle in the Jets’ loss to Minnesota in London on Sunday. Both Johnson and Rodgers mentioned there was no discussion about Saleh’s future.
“Woody has no obligation to let me know what his plans are,” Rodgers said. “I just appreciated the call that he was checking on me.”
Rodgers noted that firing Saleh serves as a reminder of how football “is a tough business,” and he emphasized the human side of such decisions. He talked about Saleh’s family, mentioning that he became close with one of the coach’s seven kids during team practices. Rodgers also reiterated that he and Saleh—who expressed gratitude for his time as head coach—were not in conflict.
Tight end Tyler Conklin mentioned during a video call with reporters that he thought Rodgers “probably took this harder than almost anybody” because it was clear that “it weighed heavy on him.”
“I love Coach Saleh,” Rodgers said. “We have a very solid relationship. … He was a big reason why I came to the Jets.”
The four-time NFL MVP joined the New York Jets in April 2023 after being traded from Green Bay. His arrival brought Super Bowl hopes, but he tore his left Achilles tendon just four plays into his first game last season, and the Jets ended up with a 7-10 record without him.
This season started with similar expectations, but after losing two games in a row and dealing with inconsistent play from Rodgers and the offense, Johnson became worried that the team was not going in the right direction.
Linebacker C.J. Mosley mentioned during a video call that once the news of Saleh’s firing spread, players on the team’s leadership council—including Mosley, Rodgers, tight end Tyler Conklin, offensive tackle Morgan Moses, and punter Thomas Morstead—met to talk about the situation.
This was followed by a players-only meeting and then a team meeting with Ulbrich.
“I would say the main thing that I heard a lot yesterday was accountability,” Mosley said. “I think that’s what we have to keep in mind going forward.
We all have to be accountable every single day that we come to the building, every single day that we wake up and every decision that’s made within our organization, especially with our team, we all have to take some type of accountability.
“So whether it’s good, bad or in between, that’s what this is always about. So I think this was definitely a wakeup call and an eye-opener for a lot of people.”
Rodgers also emphasized the importance of accountability, starting with himself.
“I’ve got to play better — I will,” Rodgers insisted. “We’ve got a lot to play for.”
