Aaron Rodgers has finally returned from his ‘unexcused’ trip away after angering New York Jets officials by skipping the team’s mandatory minicamp.
Rodgers, 40, did not show for all three days of the Jets’ minicamp earlier this month, with the Hall of Fame quarterback facing over $100,000 in fines after his absence was not approved by coach Robert Saleh.
Dailymail.com later revealed that the New York hierarchy had been left furious with the situation and were considering ‘tightening his leash’ for the foreseeable future.
However, it appears Rodgers is now back on US soil after heading away for a mystery event, which certain reports identified as an ayahuasca retreat.
Buffalo Bills receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling, who played with Rodgers in Green Bay, says he has been working out with his ex-Packers teammate in Los Angeles after he returned from a trip to Egypt.
New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers has finally returned from his ‘unexcused’ trip away
‘Me and Aaron have been great friends since I had been in Green Bay,’ Valdes-Scantling told Jason McIntyre on FS1 show ‘The Herd’ this week.
‘I hit him up, told him I was coming out to LA, and said, “Let’s run some routes.”
‘So we got it in. Went out to some high school and ran some routes together. We’re good. It was good.’
McIntyre, a longtime Jets fan, then said: ‘All the New York media can stand down. Aaron Rodgers is back from Egypt! It’s not a secret anymore!’
Despite confirming Rodgers had left the Jets’ camp without approval, Saleh subsequently played down the situation and insisted he had smoothed things over with his star man.
‘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.’
Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner also leapt to Rodgers’ defense amid the backlash over his unexcused absence this month.
Rodgers did not show for all three days of the Jets’ minicamp earlier this month after heading away on a mystery trip that was not approved by team officials
But the quarterback’s former Packers teammate Marquez Valdes-Scantling says he is back on US soil after they recently worked out together in LA
Gardner, who’s grown to be close with the quarterback, posted on X: ‘Are y’all really making a big deal because a 15+ year HOF QB missed 2 days of practice after being with the team all throughout Phase 1, 2 & 3 of OTA’s?? GG’s.’
Rodgers is gearing up for what he hopes will be his first full season as a Jets player after last year’s injury nightmare.
Just four snaps into his debut against the Bills, the four-time MVP tore his Achilles tendon and missed the entirety of the campaign.
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