Aaron Rodgers and head coach Robert Saleh shared an interesting moment on the sideline after the Jets took a 14-0 lead on Thursday night in what became a 24-3 win.
In a moment captured by the Prime Video broadcast of the Jets-Patriots matchup, Rodgers looked intensely at the Jets coach after dapping him up on the sideline.
He then seemed to push off a hug from Saleh.
Naturally, the moment was quickly clipped and posted online, with social media users jumping to try and decipher what the future Pro Football Hall-of-Fame QB said.
But after the game, Rodgers cleared the air over the situation.
“He’s not a big hugger, usually, so I didn’t know he was going for the huge,” he said of Saleh. “He likes to do the two-hand chest push as well. He talks a lot about two-score leads. So I just kind of gave him a push and said ‘Two-score lead.'”
Saleh, in his press conference, reiterated the two-score lead discussion.
Before the clarification came in, though, replies on X were wide-ranging.
“This is a ‘damn straight’ look from Rodgers to his coach. Obvious these folks never played sports,” one person wrote.
“I just saved your job buddy,” a person joked.
“I think it’s a veteran QB holding his HC accountable by saying, this ain’t time to celebrate yet,” wrote another.
The moment was a topic of conversation during the Prime Video halftime show, with ex-Jets QB Ryan Fitzpatrick weighing in.
“I kind of chuckled at this, thinking [ex-Packers coach Mike] McCarthy is probably sitting in his office tonight watching, [Packers coach Matt] LaFleur is probably sitting in his office tonight laughing, thinking, ‘Hey we know this version of Aaron, too. Quite the competitor,’” Fitzpatrick said.
Rodgers finished the game with 281 yards passing, two touchdowns, and a 118.9 passer rating.
