Aaron Rodgers had a easy rationalization after a clumsy interplay with New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh went viral.
Rodgers, 40, was caught pushing Saleh, 45, away when he got here in for a hug in the course of the Jets’ victory over the New England Patriots on Thursday, September 19, with viewers of Prime Video’s Thursday Evening Soccer broadcast suggesting Rodgers appeared irritated.
“He’s not a giant hugger normally,” Rodgers stated of Saleh in his postgame press convention. “So I didn’t know he was going for the hug. He likes to do the two-hand chest push.”
Rodgers added, “He talks quite a bit about two-score leads, so I simply sort of gave him a push and stated, ‘Two-score lead.’”
The Jets quarterback — who returned to MetLife Stadium for the primary time since final 12 months’s season-ending Achilles damage — insisted the interplay “wasn’t awkward in any respect,” which was echoed by Saleh himself.
“A part of the issues that we’ve been speaking about is simply to get the protection a two-score lead,” Saleh stated after the sport when requested in regards to the flubbed hug. “And it was a two-score lead, so I assume he simply wished to see one thing on protection. He simply jogged my memory that, you understand, it was a two-score lead.”
It was a giant evening for Rodgers and the Jets, who dismantled the Patriots 24-3 to enhance to 2-1 on the early season. Rodgers completed 27 of 35 with 281 yards and two touchdowns.
“This was sort of step one in enjoying like I do know I’m able to enjoying,” Rodgers stated. “I felt like I used to be myself from 5 years in the past.”
After signing a three-year, $112.5 million contract with the Jets, Rodgers suffered a torn Achilles tendon simply 4 performs into his first sport and missed the rest of the season.
In line with ESPN, Rodgers turned solely the fourth quarterback in NFL historical past to finish 75% of his passes in a sport whereas throwing for at the least 250 yards on the age of 40 or older, becoming a member of Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Brett Favre.
The spectacular effort definitely didn’t go unnoticed by his head coach.
“The cool factor was he confirmed the mobility that we noticed in coaching camp,” Saleh stated. “He is probably not what he was once along with his legs, however his arm remains to be 30 and his thoughts remains to be working at a excessive stage.”
Rodgers and the Jets return to motion on Sunday, September 29 at house in opposition to the Denver Broncos.