Aaron Rodgers was fined but says he, Jets coach Saleh 'great'

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- After touring the pyramids and riding a camel last month in Egypt, New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers was back in a familiar position on Wednesday: in front of a media throng, explaining himself.

Rodgers addressed his unexcused absence from the two-day minicamp in June, saying there was a scheduling conflict with his planned vacation to Egypt and that there's no residual tension in his relationship with coach Robert Saleh.

And, yes, he was fined by the team. Exercising their rights under the collective bargaining agreement, the Jets docked him "a little more" than $50,000 for skipping the mandatory event, Rodgers confirmed.

"It's obviously more of an issue outside the building than there was inside the building," Rodgers said after the first training camp practice. "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."

Clearly, Saleh wanted to put it in the past.

"I've had dialogue with Aaron throughout the summer," he 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 trip -- a "bucket list" vacation, he called it -- based on the Jets' 2023 offseason schedule, thinking they'd be wrapped up by the first week of June. Thing is, they didn't have a minicamp last year. Saleh gave the team an early vacation because of an early start to training camp due to the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio.

Once he realized there was a conflict, "I tried to move some things around," Rodgers said. "It just didn't happen."

It mushroomed into a huge story. Rodgers downplayed the importance of minicamp, basically saying it's a glorified OTA practice. He was a full participant in the OTA practices, which were voluntary.

On Tuesday, he reported to camp wearing a T-shirt that featured an Egyptian goddess. He insisted he wasn't trying to troll critics, that it was simply a random fashion choice.

From the Jets' perspective, the most significant thing is that Rodgers has recovered from Achilles surgery, preparing for his 20th season amid large expectations. "The goal is New Orleans," he said, referring to the site of the Super Bowl. "That has to be the focus."

Rodgers, injured on the fourth snap of the 2023 season, said his Achilles feels great. At the same time, he acknowledged it will "take a little time" before he returns to his pre-injury form. By that, he meant from a mental standpoint -- i.e. resharpening his reflexes and instincts.

"It's going to take a nice training camp to feel like myself," he said. On the final play of practice, Rodgers stepped up in the pocket and threw on the move, hitting Allen Lazard for a short touchdown. He needs more of those plays, he said, to regain his old rhythm.

Once again, the Jets are counting on the four-time MVP to lead them back to the playoffs; their 13-year drought is the longest in the NFL.

"When he's in the building," star cornerback Sauce Gardner said, "we have a standard."