Aaron Rodgers’ math shows that 10 is greater than two.
Rodgers downplayed the hubbub over his decision to take a personal trip to Egypt and miss the Jets mandatory minicamp in June.
The two-day minicamp operates under very similar rules and with similar practice drills to the 10 preceding voluntary OTAs (the Jets only held nine).
“Now it’s not minicamp, they can arbitrarily put a [mandatory] tag on whatever week of OTAs that they want,” Rodgers said on an episode of “Pardon My Take” that aired Monday, according to on3.com.
“This is the ‘minicamp week,’ which makes it more mandatory than other weeks, but it’s an OTAs schedule. That’s how words can be a little deceiving. They can make a story about how I missed minicamp when it was really two OTA days. I came to the first 10.”
The Jets technically only held nine OTAs, with head coach Robert Saleh cancelling the last one in a player-friendly gesture.
Saleh called Rodgers’ absence “unexcused” and thus was subject to fines.
To Rodgers’ point, had he skipped the nine voluntary OTAs and attended the mandatory minicamp he would have gotten significantly less practice time as he returns from last season’s torn Achilles but there might have been less of a fuss because of semantics.
Rodgers and “Pardon My Take” co-host Big Cat then had a little sly fun over defining words.
“You would never change the meaning of a word or deliberately tell people,” the co-host said in a subtle reference to the 2021 debate that Rodgers sparked while with the Packers when he said he was “immunized” against COVID-19 but it was interpreted by some as “vaccinated” without any correction from Rodgers.
The Jets report for training camp Tuesday.
Rodgers will be there, but it is unknown whether Jets pass-rusher Haason Reddick will be after he skipped all OTAs and minicamp.