Former Jets QB makes big claims about Aaron Rodgers-Robert Saleh relationship

As Andy Vasquez of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com pointed out, New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh and quarterback Aaron Rodgers seemed to disagree while speaking with reporters following Sunday's 10-9 home loss to the Denver Broncos about pre-snap penalties that impacted Gang Green at MetLife Stadium. 

Former Jets quarterback and current NFL analyst Boomer Esiason still has ties to the organization and touched upon the Saleh-Rodgers relationship during Monday's edition of the WFAN morning show. 

"I don’t even think they talk to each other," Esiason said about Saleh and Rodgers, as shared by Ryan Chichester of Audacy. "I watch to try and see if there’s any interaction on the sideline; nothing. I see a guy walking right past another guy. I remember those days because I had those days with two coaches in particular, and it was because I didn’t trust the guy…I didn’t think he knew what he was doing." 

While Saleh indicated following Sunday's defeat that dropped the Jets to 2-2 on the season that Rodgers' teammates may not be able to handle the veteran's pre-snap cadence, Rodgers insisted the club's five offensive pre-snap penalties against Denver were "way out of character for us." Per ESPN's Rich Cimini, Saleh backtracked while speaking during a Monday videoconference with reporters and said the Jets will "continue to always push the envelope" from "a cadence standpoint."

"I think there is a pressure cooker here over in Florham Park," Esiason said about Saleh finding himself on the hot seat if the Jets lose to the 4-0 Minnesota Vikings in London this Sunday. "I'm sure a lot of people over there feel it. If they continue to lose games like this and comments come out like they were yesterday, I just feel like something will have to be done if they want to save the season." 

Jets offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett was Rodgers' OC with the Green Bay Packers from 2019-21 and has some head-coaching experience. It's widely assumed the power Rodgers holds with the Jets would result in general manager Joe Douglas promoting Hackett to the role of interim head coach if the club parted ways with Saleh during the season. 

Saleh has accumulated an overall record of 20-35 as Jets head coach. 

"There is a major issue there," Esiason added about the Saleh-Rodgers situation. "They’ll deny it, I guarantee it. But there is an issue there because you have a 40-year-old, Hall of Fame quarterback dealing with a head coach who I think he doesn’t respect." 

As of Monday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Jets as 2.5-point underdogs against the Vikings.