Julian Edelman rips Aaron Rodgers for lacking necessary minicamp

“I believe it’s a nasty search for your chief, for no matter motive, to go and miss an unexcused absence,” Edelman stated Friday throughout an look on “The Herd with Colin Cowherd” on FS1. “I used to be with Tom Brady in his twenty fifth yr or twenty third yr, and he began lacking [voluntary] OTAs right here and there, however he by no means missed a compulsory minicamp. I simply thought it was a nasty look.”

The Brady analogy isn’t good as a result of Brady missed 11 days of coaching camp — way more essential to preparation than minicamp — for unspecified causes through the lead-in to his remaining season with the Buccaneers in 2022.

Brady and then-wife Gisele Bundchen divorced later that yr.

Rodgers took a unique strategy to spring apply by attending the voluntary OTAs in order that he nonetheless obtained in his reps whereas getting back from a torn Achilles suffered within the 2023 season-opener.

The drills utilized in and non-contact guidelines utilized to OTAs and minicamp are very related, with the primary distinction that an absence from necessary exercises is topic to team-issued fines. 

“I’m a giant Aaron Rodgers fan,” Edelman stated, “but when I used to be in that locker room and Aaron Rodgers wasn’t there for 3 days on the necessary minicamp, having performed 4 snaps off of an harm when we’ve two new receivers [and] a bunch of recent linemen that we added to the workforce, with a CBA that doesn’t permit us to apply loads? I assure there’s 4 or 5 guys — six, seven, eight, 9 guys in that locker room — sitting there like, ‘The place’s he at?”

It isn’t publicly identified the place Rodgers was — he shared it with the Jets — although the rumor mill is churning.

The Jets would have excused Rodgers’ absence if it was beneath regular circumstances, akin to a household dedication like a beginning or a loss of life.

“I do know lots of people do issues otherwise,” Edelman stated. “However God forbid the New York Jets begin 1-3 at the start of the season, which they begin with the Niners, Tennessee, Patriots and another person regardless. Everyone knows the Patriots are not any good, however that protection continues to be the identical [tough] protection, and that’s who Aaron goes in opposition to. 

“In the event that they go 1-3, that is going to be such a giant distraction for that locker room. As a result of everybody goes to be speaking about it — that is New York Metropolis. It’s the media capital of the world.”