Aaron Rodgers Returns to the US After Causing Consternation Following Unexcused New York Jets Training Camp Absence

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News stories attract towards Aaron Rodgers in much the same way his teammates have invariably been found by his passes over the years, and even though it’s the off-season, this does not lessen the media interest in the veteran NFL legend. 

The latest issues relate to his apparent unexcused absence from the New York Jets training camp and his recent return to the scene after spending time overseas in Egypt. The 40-year-old debut season at the MetLife Stadium certainly did not pan out as any of the sides would have hoped, with the former Green Bay Packers star getting injured early on his debut for the Jets and then subsequently being ruled out for the entire season.

Long-suffering fans of the Jets may feel things will work out differently in the coming season, in which case checking out the best NJ sportsbooks would make a great deal of sense ahead of a potential wager. 

The four-time NFL MVP winners’ move to join Robert Saleh’s Jets was always going to result in a great deal of column inches, but the way in which things fizzled out so early last time around must still irk many involved. Now, Rodgers is looking to deliver in his second season with the lowly-ranked franchise.

Jets fans don’t need reminding that it’s been 13 seasons and counting since they last made it to the postseason, but clearly, in Rodgers, they have a seasoned performer, a Super Bowl winner, and an individual who can make an impact, even this late into a glittering career.

His absence from training camp did, however, annoy head coach Saleh; he has since moved to calm talk of a rift.

“Aaron and I are on the exact same page,” he said. “There’s no issue between Aaron [and I] or his teammates for that matter. We addressed it [Tuesday]. It’s more of an issue for everyone outside the building than it is inside. That’s about it.” 

If Rodgers gets to the start of the new season unscathed and throws a pass in the 2024 season, he will join an elite club of those who have done so in their age-41 season. Since 1966, only nine individuals have managed to achieve this milestone, Tom Brady being one such obvious recent example.

Hall of Fame great Warren Moon has commented on the ability of players to continue to deliver in their veteran years.

“I always felt that I could play with anybody in the league at that time if I was healthy,” he said. “It’s something that’s in the minds of people in football: When you get to a certain age — in my days, it was 34 or 35 — your career is on the back burner, except for Tom Brady.”

“It’s a young man’s game, but I really felt like I was in really good shape to be able to perform," he continued. "Was I as athletic as I was when I first came in the league? No, but I made up for it with my knowledge of defenses and my anticipation. I got better as I got older.”

It is worth noting that Rodgers, aside from last season’s enforced injury-related woes, has shown his ability to make a real impact even in his later years. We are, after all, talking about the player who picked up NFL MVP awards in 2020 and 2021, those successes coming six years after his second winning of the prestigious award. 

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