Rodgers created controversy with his minicamp absence
Aaron Rodgers made his first public appearance since the drama over his whereabouts while the New York Jets began mandatory minicamp earlier this month.
Rodgers was seen cageside at UFC 303 in Las Vegas on Saturday night. He was seen with his former Green Bay Packers teammate, tight end Marcedes Lewis. The veteran NFL player now plays for the Chicago Bears.
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New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers during UFC 303 at T-Mobile Arena on June 29, 2024, in Las Vegas. (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Chicago Bears tight end Marcedes Lewis attend UFC 303 on June 29, 2024, in Las Vegas. (Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
The star quarterback has been absent from minicamp. Jets head coach Robert Saleh described it as an "unexcused absence," which sparked a whirlwind of controversy from sports pundits in the New York City area.
Saleh tried to put all the hoopla to rest.
"Aaron and I are on the exact same page," Saleh said earlier this month, via the New York Post. "There’s no issue between Aaron (and me]) or his teammates, for that matter. We addressed it (Tuesday). It’s more of an issue for everyone outside the building than it is inside. That’s about it."
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Buffalo Bills wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling, who also played with Rodgers in Green Bay, said on "The Herd" on Thursday that he had just worked out with the quarterback in Los Angeles.
"Me and Aaron have been great friends since I’ve been in Green Bay. I hit him up, told him I was coming out to L.A., and said, ‘Let’s run some routes,’" Valdes-Scantling said. "So, we got it in, went out to some high school, and ran some routes together. We’re good. It was good."
Aaron Rodgers of the New York Jets during OTA Offseason Workouts at Atlantic Health Jets Training Center on June 4, 2024, in Florham Park, New Jersey. (Luke Hales/Getty Images)
Rodgers was at organized team activities earlier in the offseason.
Rodgers was the Jets’ biggest acquisition last year, but only played in four snaps before he tore his Achilles.
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Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.