Another critic of Aaron Rodgers’ minicamp absence has appeared
Add one of the New York Jets’ former nemeses to the list of people with something to say about Aaron Rodgers.
Appearing on “The Herd” with Colin Cowherd, Julian Edelman said that Rodgers missing mandatory minicamp is a “bad look” for the veteran quarterback.
“I know a lot of people do things differently, but god forbid the New York Jets start 1-3 at the beginning of the season…If they go 1-3, this is going to be such a big distraction for that locker room. Everyone is going to be talking about it.”
The wide receiver said he is a big Aaron Rodgers fan but said he “guarantees” some players in the locker room are questioning the quarterback’s whereabouts.
.@Edelman11 says Aaron Rodgers missing mandatory minicamp is a bad look:
"If they go 1-3, this is going to be such a big distraction for that locker room." pic.twitter.com/WLrwwgln2r
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) June 21, 2024
Edelman’s comments are not exactly egregious, especially compared to some that Cowherd and others have made. However, there are still some holes to poke in his words.
Rodgers was at every voluntary OTA practice this offseason. He was consistently working with his teammates both on and off the field. Additionally, head coach Robert Saleha and cornerback Sauce Garnder have expressed that Rodgers missing the two practices is not a big deal.
At the end of the day, it is June. Sports shows need topics to discuss regarding football, meaning that Rodgers’s lightning-rod personality is a perfect target. As a result, it allows narratives to be spun and pushed, leaving out important contextual information.
There is a perfect barometer for Edelman to use for Rodgers in this situation, as his former teammate Tom Brady missed 11 days of training camp in 2022. Training camp absences did not affect Brady significantly, meaning that two mandatory minicamp absences will not play a role in the Jets’ play in 2024.
The former wideout did acknowledge that if the Jets start fast, the narrative of the missed minicamp practices will dissipate. But, Edelman’s overall comments on the situation show a push for relevancy and headlines in a slowing-moving period of the NFL offseason.