New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers insisted that he had a "great relationship" with the outbound Robert Saleh as he denied speculation over a rift before the head coach's dismissal.
The 45-year-old oversaw a 2-3 start to the season before being relieved of his duties following a 23-17 defeat to the Minnesota Vikings in London. Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich has been installed as his temporary replacement in the role, with Bill Belichick , Pete Carroll and Mike Vrabel among the early candidates to fill the vacancy.
Amid the sacking of Saleh, the speculation over supposed friction between the coach and Rodgers will likely become a point of discourse among observers. With the 40-year-old having returned to the Jets fold after completing his recovery from a season-ending Achilles injury sustained last year, relations between the pair have been scrutinized significantly.
Rumors of tensions between the pair were sparked after an awkward exchange between Saleh and Rodgers during Week 3, as the latter appeared to reject an embrace with the coach. However, the major talking point in the relationship between the duo came as Saleh mooted changing Rodgers' pre-snap cadence.
Following a 10-9 defeat to the Denver Broncos , he said: "We've got to figure it out, whether or not we're good enough or ready to handle all the cadence. Cadence had not been an issue all camp. Felt like our operation had been operating pretty good. Obviously, today it took a major step back."
However, on the following Monday, Saleh appeared to go back on his comments, as he emphasized the difference between "cadence" and "operation. He said: "We're always going to push the envelope with cadence. Always.
"But with regards to operation, getting in and out of the huddle, getting to the line of scrimmage, the communication that's being had, those are all things that we can continue to look at and clean up. But from a cadence standpoint, that's part of what makes us who we are, and we're going to continue to always push the envelope on that."
Rodgers disagreed with Saleh's initial comments but was eager to deny any rumors that the pair's relationship had become fractured. He said: "I think there’s some driving force trying to put a wedge [from] outside the facility between Robert and I. We’re really good friends.
"We enjoy each other. We spend time almost every day in his office talking about things and talking about the energy of the team, 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."
Of the coach's remarks, the quarterback said: "[They]maybe didn't actually reflect his feelings. Cadence has been a weapon. I think he kind of went in and got a chance Monday to respond to all that."
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