Does Aaron Rodgers seem to be too casual about training and preseason games? First, it was his “unexcused” absence and now, A-Rod believes that he shouldn’t be playing in the preseason because “Preseason is not real football.” While A-Rod gave a straightforward answer to the question, “I mean I don’t think I need to as long as I’m making the right reactions in practice,” his former teammate Greg Jennings gave a more realistic take on First Things First.

He believes that Rodgers should be out there on the frontlines as a leader. “He [Rodgers] needs to play,” said Jennings. “Prior to his last year in Green Bay, I don’t think anybody is like, ‘Yeah, he doesn’t need to play.’ Why? Because it was a constant. There was a relationship, rapport, all the things. Once he decided not to show up with those young guys in the off-season, I thought then, ‘he needs to practice, he needs to play.’ Coming over to the Jets, last year, there’s no rapport on the field of play. It is one thing to do it in practice. It is a completely different thing to go against live bullets.”

Around July 31, Robert Saleh said that his instinct says “no” to letting Rodgers play in the preseason and the 4x MVP was clueless about it. While the Jets did win against the Commanders 20-17, it wasn’t Rodgers who provided any team contributions. The player was completely missing from the scene as Aaron Rodgers focused on returning during the regular season, which does raise questions about his rapport with the team.

A few days ago, Rodgers had a slight spat with Garrett Wilson. Sure, both parties buried the hatchet and acted like it was nothing major. But those are still issues. For Rodgers, Garrett Wilson is  “hard to throw to, honestly — he’s so damn fast.” The QB admitted to overthrowing and missing the pass in practice. Now that these issues exist, they need to be resolved, right? Well, preseason games appear not to be an answer to that for A-Rod.

However, it’s not like Rodgers completely lacks backing from his peers. During his “unexcused” absence, Sauce Gardner defended him by saying, “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??,” Gardner wrote on his X (formerly Twitter) account. “GG’s.” Also, Coach Saleh and the team owner’s support showcase that “no rapport” isn’t an issue Rodgers is facing, he is fitting well.

But, the question arises about the on-field chemistry. If not the preseason, how else is the Jets crew supposed to learn the Rodgers’ lingo? What about the in-game improvisation and situational football? The answers to these questions will only be revealed once Rodgers takes the field officially on September 9 against the Niners.

If the Green Army faces defeat, Robert Saleh and Woody Johnson might have some explaining to do. However, we can’t discard the fact that A-Rod was there in the Jets’ facility throughout the 2023 season doing meetings, helping Zach Wilson, all while recovering. While one side shows the ramifications of his absence from the preseason, the other side is a tell-tale of why it’s not that bad.

Why Aaron Rodgers might be missing out on pre-season

The most obvious reason is the minimization of injuries. Also, the 4x MVP thinks that he’s taken enough reps in the OTAs and feels comfortable with the team. The hosts of Boomer & Gio asked A-Rod, “Do you want to play in preseason? Do you want to get out there do you want to feel the rush again?”

Rodgers said. “I obviously didn’t get to play a whole lot last year. That’s kind of a joke. But I was able to be back at practice. I think so I didn’t miss the entire year. Obviously, I was here for 10 of the 12 OTAs uh in training camp so that’s important obviously.” Kevin Wildes on First Things First showed an important set of data about Rodgers’ preseason habits. Here’s what his preseason participation with Mike McCarthy, Matt LaFleur, and Robert Saleh looked like.

Let’s focus on the LaFleur era a bit where Rodgers didn’t play any preseason snaps. In the 2019 and 2020 seasons, Rodgers went to the NFC Championships and lost both times. In the 2021 season, he reached the NFC Divisional Playoff but lost to Niners. A-Rod didn’t play because the NFL canceled preseason games due to COVID-19, but eventually resumed in 2021.

However, 2022 was a losing season for the Packers and obviously, we know what happened in 2023. However, back then things were different. Rodgers was a Lambeau resident for nearly two decades. New York is a different place and a different team. Despite his years of experience, helping out in the preseason might be a way to go. The Jets played the Commanders and won. They have to go against the Panthers, and most importantly, the New York Giants. Do you think it is wise for Rodgers to sit out during the preseason games? Share your thoughts below.