Aaron Rodgers claimed there was a “driving force” trying to stir rumors of a rift between him and New York Jets coach Robert Saleh.
The pair’s relationship has come under scrutiny in recent weeks after Saleh fined Rodgers for going on holiday and missing a mandatory training camp while eyebrows were raised when the quarterback seemingly rejected a hug from Saleh during the game against the New England Patriots.
But Rodgers, speaking in London ahead of the game with the Minnesota Vikings at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday, said he and Saleh were “really good friends”.
He said: “I think there’s some driving force to try and put a wedge [from] outside the facility between Robert and I.
“But, you know, we’re really good friends. We enjoy each other and we spend time [together]. Almost every day, I’m in his office talking about things and talking about the energy of the team, the focus of the team, what we need to get done, how I can help him out, how he can help me out. So we’ve got a great relationship.”
Suiting up in white on white. pic.twitter.com/Vm9rohkpm1
— New York Jets (@nyjets) October 4, 2024
The Jets were beaten up by the Denver Broncos last week with Rodgers hit 14 times and sacked five times.
They can expect a similarly forceful approach from the Vikings but Rodgers expects better from his offensive line.
“They’re going to pressure, have line movement half the time probably. That’s what they’ve been doing,” Rodgers said.
“I wouldn’t expect a big change. We didn’t necessarily handle it very well last week. So I expect them to run their defense and master disguise. [There are] a lot of different things they throw at you. We’re going to be good in protection first and then run the football effectively.”
