Insider questions story about Jets' Aaron Rodgers skipping minicamp

NFL insider Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk/NBC Sports isn't completely buying the story about quarterback Aaron Rodgers skipping the New York Jets' two-day mandatory minicamp because Rodgers scheduled "a pre-planned trip to Egypt" before those practice dates were confirmed and "for what was believed to be after the offseason programs" concluded.

"The guy has played in the NFL since 2005," Florio wrote about Rodgers for a piece published Tuesday. "He knows the offseason calendar. He knows that mandatory minicamps happen in the first two weeks of June. Last year, Rodgers' first with the Jets, mandatory minicamp happened from June 13 to 15. In 2022, his last in Green Bay, the Packers held their minicamp from June 7 to 9. In 2021, it was June 15-17."

Jets reporter Connor Hughes of SNY has repeatedly insisted since last month that Rodgers missing minicamp was no big deal, in part because the future Hall of Famer participated in a majority of the club's voluntary springtime workouts. Florio previously revealed that the Jets planned to fine Rodgers for missing minicamp as an unexcused absence, and Hughes shared on Monday that the team "did not want to set a precedent for players missing mandatory workouts for pre-planned trips."

That's all well and good, but it doesn't explain why Rodgers and/or head coach Robert Saleh didn't address the 40-year-old's decision before the first day of minicamp arrived.

"Instead of deeming the absence excused (which the Jets absolutely could have done), they created an unnecessary problem by telling the world that he was AWOL," Florio wrote on Tuesday.

By all accounts, Rodgers remains all-in on playing for the Jets this season. He should be cleared for contact by Week 1 coming off the torn Achilles he suffered in September 2023 and is expected to report on time for training camp later this month.

"The absence might not impact the team directly," Florio continued, "...but the aftermath of the team’s mishandling of it could. Especially if Rodgers is p----- off about an unforced error by the team that forced his name into headlines that made him look selfish, stupid, and/or dishonest for scheduling a trip one week before the opening of a six-week window to go wherever he wanted."

Saleh told reporters on June 12 that he and Rodgers were "on the exact same page" regarding the absences. Rodgers could've echoed Saleh's words at any point over the past few weeks but hadn't publicly done so as of Tuesday afternoon.