Aaron Rodgers has confirmed he was fined by the New York Jets for his controversial trip to Egypt but says there is no ill feeling between the quarter-back and coach Robert Saleh.
Rodgers’ two-day absence from the Jets’ training camp in June to go on vacation to Egypt sparked a media storm and the 40-year-old has now explained it was down to a “scheduling conflict”.
The Jets have exercised their right to dock him “a little more than” a $50,000 under the collective bargaining agreement, Rodgers has confirmed, but the four-time MVP said he and Saleh are on good terms.
“Robert and I are great. We had great conversations throughout the offseason. [We] had a fun one last night in his office till later on. So, it is what it is.
“I’m an adult. I knew what I was getting into. I knew the fine that was coming and also knew how much I wanted to be in Egypt.
“I wish there hadn’t been a conflict scheduling-wise, but it was what it was.”
Aaron Rodgers, on Egypt trip, says he knew the consequences if I wasn’t going to be there. Wishes there hadn’t been a scheduling conflict. But calls it a special trip, rode a camel. Says fascination with Egypt goes back 3 decades to a gifted and talented class pic.twitter.com/deeOloC4lJ
— John Chandler (@JohnChandlerNBC) July 24, 2024
Saleh also appeared eager to put the issue to bed when asked about the situation.
“I’ve had dialogue with Aaron throughout the summer,” the Jets coach said. “I got some cool pictures from him. [We] had our normal conversations.
“Nothing has been broken, but the minicamp stuff, we talked beforehand, so we are on the same page with everything that has happened.”
Rodgers said he booked the “bucket list” vacation based on the Jets’ 2023 offseason schedule, thinking they’d be wrapped up by the first week of June.
Once he realised there was a conflict, the Super Bowl XLV champion “tried to move some things around” but was unable to.
It became a huge story, which only heightened when Rodgers reported to their training camp wearing a T-shirt that featured an Egyptian goddess.
He insisted he was not trying to troll critics and that it was “just a fashion choice”.
Aaron Rodgers talks about coaching up Malachi Corley and Garrett Wilson at practice: pic.twitter.com/bNgCkfg9M6
— Jets Videos (@snyjets) July 24, 2024
After doing his best to move past the issue, Rodgers will be fully focused on making his long-awaited return from Achilles surgery ahead of his 20th NFL season.
“The goal is New Orleans,” he said, referring to the site of the Super Bowl. “That has to be the focus.”
The 40-year-old has nit featured since getting injured in the fourth snap of the season in 2023 and admits “it’s going to take a little time” to get back to previous levels, adding: “It’s going to take a nice training camp to feel like myself.”
