WARE, England (AP) — 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.
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.” 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, 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.
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