"It’s his Darkness Retreat again": Jets fans react as Aaron Rodgers chooses to skip 'all of' mandatory minicamp

Aaron Rodgers decided to be away from football during the New York Jets' minicamp, which is mandatory for all NFL players. Other players do this to hold out for better contracts, but Rodgers isn't up for an extension and hasn't expressed a desire for a new deal. Instead, he said that he's going to be away from the team as he has to be someplace else.

ESPN reporter Dianna Russini said on X, formerly known as Twitter:

"Aaron Rodgers is skipping all of Jets mandatory minicamp this week because he prefers to be somewhere else away from football. That's his choice."

Jets fans reacted to the news, many of whom were excited for the 2024 season with a healthy Rodgers and an improved offense. After Rodgers was only able to play four snaps in 2023, the new season brought hope. With Rodgers choosing to skip the mandatory minicamp, fans started questioning those hopes.

"What is he pouting about now?" one fan asked.

"That Jets contract turned into a donation real fast," another added.

Not all fans are worried, though. Some pointed out that Rodgers had expressed his need to be absent long ago to head coach Robert Saleh.

"He’s been at all OTAs and it’s been known for months. Saleh blew this up for nothing and so are you," one fan noted.

"Here we go, another vax loving 'journalist' trying to stir the pot even more because it’s Rodgers," another chimed in.

Rodgers did not specify what led to him missing the mandatory minicamp.

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Robert Saleh addresses Aaron Rodgers' absence

Robert Saleh knew ahead of time that Aaron Rodgers would miss mandatory minicamp. The quarterback expressed before OTAs began that this would happen.

Aaron Rodgers spoke with Robert Saleh

Saleh said, via CNN:

“Aaron and I spoke before OTAs [organized team activities] started. He’s been very good in communication – he’s been here the entire time. It’s unexcused but he had an event that was very important to him which he communicated."

Saleh said it was unexcused and there could be contractual punishments for missing out, but the coach did acknowledge that Rodgers was upfront about his plans.