Did you see that exchange between Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh? Felt a bit rude upon the first gaze, right? Well, nothing is ever so simple when it comes to Aaron Rodgers and the Jets. But this time it was. The Jets HC took the podium after a 24-3 win against the New England Patriots and clarified the interaction he had with A-Rod.

Connor Hughes of SNY helped clear any misunderstanding people might have had about that brief interaction. In his recent post on X, the reporter noted, “Robert Saleh on the hug/push with Aaron Rodgers: Says Rodgers reminded him they finally got the defense a two-score lead. Said that’s been focus for the #Jets this season.”

Well, a two-score lead it was indeed as the Jets came out triumphant in the 24-3 showdown against the Patriots at MetLife Stadium. And after a long time, we saw the version of Aaron Rodgers that we were longing to see for a very long time. We saw Rodgers complete 27 of his 35 passes over 281 yards.

His touchdown pass to Allen Lazard was a sight to see as the Jets put some points on the board early on in the game. He threw another 2-yard pass to Garrett Wilson with 6:20 remaining in the third quarter. The Jets were 21-3 at this point and the “two score lead” was secured. The 4x MVP corroborated Saleh’s story in the post-game presser of his own.

Apparently, Robert Saleh is not a hugging kind of guy. He’d rather push you with two hands to show excitement. That became clear when A-Rod said: “He’s [Saleh] is not a big hugger usually. So, I don’t know if he was going for the hug. He likes to do the two-hand chest push as well. But he talks a lot about two score leads. So, I kind of gave him push and said, ‘two-score lead.” That’s what happened.”

So with that, we can put to rest all the off season drama that transpired after Aaron Rodgers missed the mandatory training camp. Some even went as far as to say that Robert Saleh was lying about Rodgers’ absence.

When Aaron Rodgers made all hell break loose

Well, Rodgers’ “unexcused” absence from the training camp is an old story now. But a lot of people were quick to suggest that the Jets quarterback was on an ayahuasca retreat in Costa Rica. Is that true? Well, Nick Wright thought “Robert Salah being obviously dishonest there,” about Aaron Rodgers skipping “work to do drugs.”

The hosts of First Things First were also very vocal about how Rodgers threw Robert Saleh under the bus and let him bear the brunt of his absence. But as the Jets go 2-1 in the 2024 season, criticisms have stopped coming in. Who knows? Maybe people could have taken Rodgers’ interaction with Saleh in today’s game as an aggressive encounter had he not clarified himself.

What was your favorite Aaron Rodgers moment from the showdown against the Pats?

While you’re thinking about it, do check out our latest Think Tank exclusive interview with Doug Sanders. It’s packed with insights on the current NFL season, college football, NIL, and much more.