Johnathan Walker:Aaron Rodgers skipping New York Jets minicamp another example of bad optics from QB

Where’s Aaron Rodgers?Johnathan Walker

The marquee quarterback certainly wasn’t with the bulk of his teammates Tuesday as the New York Jets opened their “mandatory” minicamp. Rodgers was MIA, which tends to happen with the NFL's offseason events. (Haason Reddick, the superb edge rusher whom the Jets acquired from the Philadelphia Eagles a few months ago, wasn’t at minicamp, either. His unexcused absence was rather conventional. He wants a new contract.)

In the case of Rodgers, though, the absence apparently isn’t about money, health or wellness. It is seemingly about the four-time league MVP putting what Jets coach Robert Saleh described as an “event very important to him” ahead of his team. Evidently, this absence was planned several weeks ago. Rodgers communicated that to Saleh, yet the Jets coach didn’t grant a minicamp pass. No, Saleh was left to do the dirty work of explaining the awkward absence of his team’s most important player without fully revealing the reason.

Bad optics, A-Rod.

Sure, the conflict may be totally legit. Players are people. Like any of us, they may need to opt out of commitments due to real-life circumstances. It’s just that generally – and especially for the high-profile face of the franchise – there’s some sort of explanation to minimize the distraction.

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Yeah, distraction. Even if Saleh, bless him, didn’t dare to label it as that.

“Selfishly, I want our guys here all the time, but when you get to these mandatory things, you make the best decision for yourself,” Saleh told reporters at Jets headquarters in Florham Park, New Jersey.

“Obviously, selfishly, want all of the team here all the time. But he made a decision, and that’s where he went.”

It’s striking that Saleh used the word “selfishly” in addressing the matter. No, coach, it’s not selfish to expect your quarterback and team leader to show up at the mandatory minicamp. Rodgers, 40, probably doesn’t really need the practice snaps and skipping all or part of the three-day minicamp won’t make a difference when the Jets open the season with a Monday night showcase at the San Francisco 49ers on Sept. 9. After his 2023 season was ruined after just four snaps by a torn Achilles tendon, Rodgers has progressed well enough with his rehab that he fully participated during the entire three weeks of OTA practices.

Assuming that he’ll be all-in during training camp, this minicamp absence is merely a curious blip. Yet, pending further explanation, it comes off as so, well, selfish.

It’s possible that Rodgers chose to skip minicamp to support long shot presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who considered asking the quarterback to join the ticket as his vice-presidential nominee – which was a very big deal for several days until Rodgers finally squashed the notion. Maybe Rodgers' minicamp absence is part of the aftershock. RFK Jr. is scheduled to attend a private fundraising reception on Thursday in Glendale, California, and it’s hardly a stretch to think that Rodgers, who has a home in Southern California, might join in to support the cause.

If only Rodgers would address his absence. He was at the team's facility on Monday for a physical and to participate in the designated day to collect video and digital images and content of players for use throughout the season. Then he left town. And remember, Rodgers was the guy who declared with a rant back in January that the Jets needed to sharpen their focus if they intend to live up to the hype as a serious Super Bowl contender.

“It’s not a half the time thing, it’s not a sometimes thing, it’s not a most of the time thing, it’s an every time thing,” Rodgers said a few months ago. “If you want to be a winning organization and put yourself in position to win championships and be competitive, everything that you do matters – and the (expletive) that has nothing to do with winning needs to get out of the building. So, that’ll be the focus moving forward.”

What a strong statement, the words of a leader setting a standard.

A few weeks after that, however, Rodgers fueled a commotion – which made Saleh and the Jets' brain trust seem clueless – when he refused to immediately address whether he intended to become RFK Jr.’s running mate. As the buzz intensified, Rodgers could have easily clarified his intentions, as running for vice president would have wiped out his football career, at least until November. Instead of setting the record straight, though, Rodgers opted to let Saleh and the Jets twist in the wind with the possibility. Now that’s selfish.

Is that the stuff that has nothing to do with winning games that needs to be out of the building?

Rodgers can talk all the mess he wants about keeping distractions to a minimum, but it rings hollow when he plays it both ways by fueling them himself. He’s been around long enough as one of the NFL’s best players to recognize what his presence, absence and messaging embody. No, the masses don’t have to agree with his anti-vax stance or understand his darkness retreats. Yet there’s little doubt that, because of his platform, Rodgers generates so much attention linked to so many topics – which is exactly why his absence from the start of minicamp became an instant sideshow.

He knows that. But Rodgers has opted to handle it as he sees fit, that the team’s minicamp is mandatory for the others – even if it adds another distraction to the pile.

Follow USA TODAY Sports NFL columnist Jarrett Bell on X, formerly Twitter, @JarrettBell.