ESPN analyst Shannon Sharpe has accused Aaron Rodgers of being responsible for the firing of head coach Robert Saleh and chaos within the New York Jets in a scathing attack.
Saleh was fired by Jets owner Woody Johnson on Tuesday morning, just days after the loss to the Minnesota Vikings amid a miserable start to the 2024 season.
However, Sharpe, who seemed surprised to discover the news live with his First Take colleagues Stephen A. Smith, Domonique Foxworth and Molly Qerim, blamed Field Marshal Rodgers for the state of disorder in New York.
In a fiery rant, the former tight end blamed the four-time MVP for forcing the head coach out the door with his destructive tactics.
“Saleh didn’t lose this team,” Sharpe insisted on ESPN’s morning show. ‘Aaron Rodgers undermined this man by not coming to minicamp. We heard the murmurs saying that it seemed like it was because it was mandatory.
Aaron Rodgers has been blamed for Shannon Sharpe’s firing of Jets head coach
Robert Saleh has been fired as head coach of the New York Jets following their latest loss.
“At the time Aaron Rodgers did that, Robert Saleh had no control over the team because guys were saying, ‘This guy is supposed to be our leader, this is the guy we’re supposed to count on.’
Rodgers skipped the Jets’ mandatory minicamp in June to visit the banks of the Nile after participating in voluntary OTAs.
The team ruled that Rodgers’ absence was “unexcused,” resulting in more than $100,000 in fines for the decorated quarterback, who was closing in on returning to the field at the start of the season after rupturing his Achilles tendon last year. past.
The issue raised concerns about tensions within Jets camp ahead of the new season, but despite the uproar, Rodgers downplayed his absence, stating that minicamps today are just glorified OTA practices and describing his getaway to Egypt as “beautiful” in a voiceless appearance on Barstool’s ‘Pardon My Take’ Podcast in the summer.
“Wow, this is a bad look for Aaron Rodgers,” Sharpe continued, speaking about Saleh’s firing. ‘He doesn’t realize how bad this looks.
‘Can you imagine Tom Brady later in his career firing the coach? Can you imagine Peyton Manning later in his career with a fired coach under him?
The former NFL tight end lashed out at Rodgers, insisting it wasn’t a ‘good look’
“That bad man has become more trouble than he’s worth.”
However, Sharpe’s co-host Smith offered a different take as he broke his silence on the Big Apple’s collapse.
The outspoken analyst claimed the sacking would be a long time coming, insisting the embattled head coach had lost the dressing room before the season even started.
“I told them a week or two ago that I didn’t think I was going to survive the season,” Smith told First Take.
“Robert Saleh had no control over the team,” he continued. ‘The offense was led by Aaron Rodgers.
“Opposing coaches, people at the stations, everyone who knows anything about football was talking about how vulgar the Jets were, especially offensively, how they were deprived of the leadership that is needed to make this team what it had the potential to be.” of being.
“Then you saw the relationship with him and Rodgers on the sidelines and people were speculating about it. Saleh said one thing and Rodgers said another: Something wasn’t right about this picture.
The quarterback was ‘unjustified’ absent from minicamp to take a vacation in Egypt
Stephen A. Smith, Sharpe’s colleague at First Take, said the firing would be a long time coming.
“I’m never happy when someone gets fired, but I’m not surprised either.”
The Jets have had a miserable start to the NFL season despite star quarterback Aaron Rodgers returning to health, and their latest setback against the Vikings left them with a losing record of 2-3.
And just days after that loss to Minnesota in London, where he controversially wore a Lebanese flag in the dugout, Saleh was relieved of his duties in New York.
Jets defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich will assume head coaching duties and lead the franchise for the remainder of the season, New York announced.
