Everything Aaron Rodgers Said About Pat McAfee About Firing Robert Saleh

Since the firing of New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh on Tuesday, questions, rumors and narratives have been asked, hypothesized and written about the events leading up to Woody Johnson’s decision.

Many of these narratives being written are about quarterback Aaron Rodgers and whether he was involved in the firing of Saleh.

Was it Rodgers’ wish that Saleh would be fired? Did Johnson talk to him before making the decision? What was the real problem with the team leading up to this news?

What is his relationship with offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett and did it even come into play here? What does the team look like under interim coach Jeff Ulbrich?

These are all feelings and questions asked by fans and media, and Rodgers decided to come directly to them and address them all the very next day after Saleh’s firing. In a regular appearance The Pat McAfee ShowOn Wednesday, Rodgers revealed all.

Here are all the notable and newsworthy things Rodgers said during his time on air.

“I love coach Saleh. We have had a very solid relationship since I met him in 2021. We had a nice conversation when they visited us to train together. He was a big reason I came to the Jets…I really liked Coach Saleh; everything Matt LaFleur said about him, the few interactions I had, the times we competed against him… I just had a lot of respect for him,” Rodgers said.

The quarterback was also quite emotional, reaffirming his love for not only Saleh, but also his family.

“What people can forget is that Robert is not only a fantastic person and a damn good football coach, but also a family man. He has seven children. He has an incredible wife.”

“Anyone who supports this decision (to fire Saleh), I just want to appeal to the humanity of the situation and remind you that there are other people involved…Adam (Saleh’s son) has to go to school this week…there are a lot of things are associated with it.

“As for the ridiculous accusations out there, I will not spend more than one sentence responding to them, and that means I reject each of those accusations because they are patently false.”

Rodgers noted that people may think he has some traction within the organization, but that’s not true.

“It’s interesting how much power people think I have that I don’t have… I love Robert. And it was one of those days, yesterday.”

“Yes, I spoke to Woody. Woody called me on Monday evening and we had a short conversation. I appreciated the call, it was a real call and he just asked me how I was doing. I got caught up in the game.’ And, you know, my ankle was pretty hurt, so he just called and asked how I was doing.

According to Rodgers, it was a very routine call when a friend called to check in.

“We talked about the game and how disappointed I was with my performance and how I’m going to play better and how we’ll get things under control and then we hung up. Up to this point, you know.” “Woody is under no obligation to tell me his plans.”

“I was in the training room doing rehab…it was one of those John Wick-like situations where John Wick becomes an ex-comunicado and all the phones start vibrating.”

“There were a lot of conversations after that… Listen, football is a family atmosphere… Everyone felt sorry for Robert and worried about him.”

“Our relationship is great. It has always been that way and always will be that way. I think there would be some things that would have to change regardless of what happened with Robert… we just weren’t playing consistent football offensively.” As we know, the definition of insanity is, always doing the same thing again and expecting different results.

Rodgers acknowledges that things need to change and supports Hackett, but also the decision-making of new interim coach Jeff Ulbrich.

“When you have a few games where you’re not playing very efficiently, you have to adjust some things… I know there were a lot of things floating around out there… Ulbrich and I have spoken a few times and I agree with his decision .

“I don’t think there will be any big changes out of consideration and respect for Robert. But Brich will add his own style. He does a great job on defense. I competed against it.’ I think we’ve both played at the same time over the years too.

Last year, Rodgers had a little more time to get to know Ulbrich as he rehabbed his Achilles tendon injury.

“I really enjoyed getting to know him last year, especially spending time with him in the offseason. He also has an incredible family. I expect him to have a steady hand and great leadership… I think he’ll do a great job,” Rodgers finished.

“As players we have to take responsibility for what happened. I think the thing that also strikes you right now is that if I had played better on Sunday, this wouldn’t be happening.”

In some ways, Rodgers took some of the responsibility for Saleh’s departure. For viewers, it was a sobering moment in the show.

“As someone who takes great pride in his performance, that was the main feeling for me yesterday… the disappointment of a bad game that could have avoided the situation.”

“It’s a good moment for us to reset our perspective,” Rodgers noted.

“I think this is a great learning experience for all of our players, young and old.”

“I think it’s important that we stick together and give each other a chance to compete.”

“Finally, I would like to first of all thank Robert. Thank you for bringing me and joining in… I’m thankful for Robert.”

“I am grateful for his leadership for our team. I’m grateful for the conversations we were able to have and how he trusted me and how he took care of his players…great love goes out to his family, his wife and his children.”…You think about it, there is a human side, an extended family, that hurts.

“When it comes to me, I don’t feel like I have to defend myself… There will always be narratives about what I think and how much power and influence I have. It’s nothing.” I’m really not worried about it.

“I care about my teammates. For me it’s about winning. “I am accountable to myself, my organization and my teammates… I have to play better and I will,” Rodgers reiterated.

Overall, it was an insightful interview for anyone who had previously criticized Rodgers or had preconceived ideas about how he operates. It’s one thing to hide behind a keyboard or be relatively inaccessible to the media, but it’s another thing to come right out and be an open target, like Rodgers was.

He addressed every question and concern as honestly as possible and, to be honest, seemed like a real human being.

You can watch the full interview here.