WARE – Aaron Rodgers talked some football but mostly relationships — those with coach Robert Saleh and former teammate Davante Adams, in particular — after the New York Jets landed in London on Friday.
The four-time NFL MVP even tossed in some local lingo, saying “knackered” and “gobsmacked” during his 11-minute session with reporters ahead of Sunday’s game against the undefeated Minnesota Vikings at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
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Rodgers denied he and Saleh have any sort of rift, saying “there’s some driving force” outside the Jets' facility trying to “put a wedge between Robert and I.”
Pre-snap penalties in a 10-9 loss to Denver last week led Saleh to question “whether or not we’re good enough or ready to handle all the cadence ″ that Rodgers uses to confuse defenses. Saleh later clarified he meant the entire operation of the offense, not specifically Rodgers' cadence. He said the Jets are “always going to push the envelope” with cadence because of Rodgers' success with it.
“Cadence has been a weapon," Rodgers said at the team's hotel north of London. "I think he kind of went in and got a chance Monday to kind of respond to all of that.”
The 40-year-old quarterback also made it clear he and Saleh are not at odds.
“We’re really good friends," he said. "We enjoy each other. We spend time almost every day, I’m in his office talking about things, talking about the energy of the team, the focus of the team, what we need to get done, how I can help him out, how he can help me out.
"So we’ve got a great relationship.”
Another hot topic this week has been the status of the frustrated Adams, who could be available in a trade after reportedly requesting the Las Vegas Raiders to deal him. The Jets have been mentioned as a potential destination because of the relationship between Adams and Rodgers, who were teammates in Green Bay for eight seasons.
Rodgers prefaced his comments on Adams by saying he wasn't sure how much he could say because of the NFL's tampering rules. But he clearly indicated his preference when it comes to a potential reunion.
“I still have a close friendship with him," Rodgers said. “We spend a lot of time in the offseason together. He’s a great guy and a great player. The rest of that is out of my hands.”
When asked about how a player might benefit from a change of scenery, Rodgers responded: “The grass is green where you water it. ... You can make a special situation out of being anywhere.”
Rodgers, who was sacked five times and hit 14 times by the Broncos, said he feels “a little banged up” but overall “pretty good” and was off the team's injury report Friday.
He received treatment this week on a sore left knee, but was a full participant at practice Thursday at the team's facility in Florham Park, New Jersey, and again Friday after being listed as limited Wednesday when he didn't join his teammates during stretching.
Bucket list
Rodgers might be 40, but he's embracing the NFL's aggressive international push. Brazil hosted its first NFL game this season. Spain gets its first in 2025.
“Spain would be fun,” Rodgers said when asked about where else he'd like to play. He didn't stop there, though: “Mexico, France, Italy."
“We know the reach that we have," Rodgers said of the league. "It's great to be over here, be a part of it. Love that we’re branching out, love how we can grow the game.”
Two years ago in London, Rodgers and the Packers lost 27-22 to the New York Giants.
“I definitely want to win in London, for sure,” he said.
Staying put
The Jets will skip the long commute to their Saturday walkthrough this time around.
Several people fell asleep on the team's hour-plus ride to the stadium in 2021 when they discovered London traffic is as bad as the bridge and tunnel scenes in New York. The Jets went on to lose 27-20 to the Atlanta Falcons after having fell behind 17-0 by early in the second quarter.
“We’re not doing that commute," Saleh said. “The science says don’t nap, and that was a recipe for napping.”
The coach says at 2-2 the Jets are “in the thick of it” and at a turning point: “This is the part of the season where teams start figuring out exactly who they are. You’re either climbing up the hill or staying at the bottom.”
What pressure?
The Jets haven't won a lot — but that's still the goal for a team that has missed the postseason the last 13 years.
“You’ve got to win — it’s New York,” Saleh said. "The expectation is to win. When you win, you’re going to the Super Bowl. When you lose, fire everybody. That’s the world we live in, that’s the world we embrace.
“We’re made for it, we’re built for it.”
Injuries
LB C.J. Mosley (toe) and DL Leki Fotu (hamstring) were listed as doubtful for the game after being limited at practice this week. ... RT Morgan Moses (knee) was previously ruled out.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL