Over the weekend, we reported that it wasn’t the idea of Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers to join the 53-man roster and ultimately displace practice-squad cornerback Kalon Barnes. On Tuesday, Rodgers said it himself.
Via Rich Cimini of ESPN.com, Rodgers explained during his weekly appearance with Pat McAfee that Rodgers did not want to be activated when his three-week practice window expired following his return from injured reserve.
“I assumed I was going to go on IR,” Rodgers said. “I asked to be put on IR, but then there was a conversation, ‘Do you want to practice?’ I said not at the expense of somebody getting cut. I know how this works.”
Rodgers’s activation resulted in the release of fullback Nick Bawden. After he cleared waivers, he signed with the Jets’ practice squad. That displaced defensive back Kalon Barnes.
“I didn’t feel like I needed to practice to continue my rehab,” Rodgers said. “I could do on-the-field stuff on the side, but, obviously, I got overruled there. It is what it is. This was an interesting situation.”
Rodgers complained, as he often does, about the criticism he received from so-called “conspiracy theorists” who were calling him selfish for taking up a roster spot despite not intending to play this season. Rodgers said he would have had no problem with finishing the season on IR.
Separately on Tuesday, coach Robert Saleh confirmed that it was the team’s idea to put Rodgers back on the roster.
"[Rodgers] expressed concern about taking up someone’s roster spot and all that stuff, and what it meant,” Saleh said, via Cimini. “But like I told you guys, we had roster flexibility, just like we told him, and we had the ability to do it. And so, we did.”
As previously explained, the Jets had a spirited practice on Friday, with Rodgers running the scout team and Rodgers and the Jets’ defense exchanging pleasantries.
