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Aaron Rodgers has made it hard to take him at his word

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Aaron Rodgers has made it hard to take him at his word

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Aaron Rodgers has a future as a rancher, so skilled is he at shoveling manure.

Taking refuge in his usual safe space, Rodgers went on The Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday to debunk the suggestion that he was responsible for the firing of Robert Saleh or knew in advance that the stunning move wouldn't come until five games into the season season coming up. Rodgers couldn't believe anyone would believe he could wield so much power. Or would Saleh stab him in the back after the quarterback became so close to the New York Jets coach and his family.

Yes, it's a real jump.

Rodgers doesn't seem to understand that everyone else's memory is just as long as his. Since he claimed to be “immunized” against COVID-19, anything he says is considered suspect, especially if it is for his benefit. Evidence of his loyalty abounds, and anyone who heard his sharp shots at Jimmy Kimmel and Travis Kelce last season knows how deeply he will retreat when he feels he has been wronged became.

And let’s not even get started on families.

The Jets are not a good team, and their struggles are all the more glaring given that they were a trendy pick to achieve major success in the postseason and perhaps even reach the Super Bowl. But defense, Saleh's strength, is not the Jets' problem. They rank second in the NFL in yards allowed per game and are tied for fifth in points allowed.

It's the offense that's wreaking havoc, and Rodgers is a big part of that. He completed just 61% of his passes, which would be his second-worst mark as a starter, and has thrown nearly as many interceptions (four) as touchdowns (seven). A year after tearing his Achilles tendon, his mobility remains an issue, a factor in his 13 sacks.

“Some things had to change regardless of what happened to Robert. “We just didn’t play consistent football on offense,” Rodgers said. “As we know, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. When you have a few games — and obviously I didn't play well in any of them — (where) we're just not playing very efficiently, you have to adjust some things.”

And yet it was Saleh who took the fall, not offensive coordinator and playmaker Nathaniel Hackett – who happens to be Rodgers' good buddy from their time together in Green Bay.

“I know there were a lot of things floating around out there. But at this point, (interim coach Jeff Ulbrich) and I have spoken a few times and I agree with whatever he decides offensively,” Rodgers said.

“I want to do the best for the team and we support coach Ulbrich,” he added. “Whatever he thinks is best for the team, that’s what we’ll do.”

However, like Saleh, Ulbrich comes from the defensive. There will be limited change to the offense even if Hackett loses control of the game. This is a direct result of Johnson giving Rodgers the keys to the kingdom when he tried to lure the future Hall of Famer to New York.

The Jets brought Hackett along with several of Rodgers' favorite teammates from Green Bay. New York's offense was designed specifically for Rodgers – albeit in a more precise and mobile version. The Jets even heeded Rodgers' insistence that he could return from last season's torn Achilles tendon and placed him on the 53-man roster, even though everyone knew he had almost no chance of playing.

When things went well, there was little room for the man in charge of the Jets and Saleh to coexist, and when things went wrong, there was none. Someone had to go, and Johnson knew he had to keep his mercurial quarterback happy to have a chance at a save this season.

“I reject these allegations because they are patently false,” Rodgers said. “It’s interesting how much power people think I have. Which I don’t.”

Secure. And Johnson happened to call Rodgers on Monday night to check on him, and then happened to fire Saleh the next morning. This is, was and will be Rodgers' team for as long as he's in New York. Ulbrich and even Hackett would do well to remember this.

Rodgers is a skilled speaker, and his somber tone about the tough business of the NFL and the toll it takes on Saleh's family could convince anyone who doesn't know better. The problem is that we all do that. Rodgers is all about Rodgers, and Saleh isn't the first – and won't be the last – to learn that the hard way.

Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armor on social media @nrarmour.

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