So weird, I just finished this article which is also damning of Saleh. He sounds like a complete incompetent douche. And Rodgers, too.
"New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson reportedly didn't have the relationship he expected or hoped for with veteran Aaron Rodgers after the future Hall of Famer tore his Achilles this season.
According to
Zack Rosenblatt and Dianna Russini of The Athletic, Wilson's feelings about Rodgers "soured" over the course of the 2023 campaign.
Part of the reason for that was the fact that Wilson and some of his teammates and coaches reportedly "grew tired" of the way head coach Robert Saleh "fawned over" Rodgers.
Also, Wilson believed he would have a "direct line" to Rodgers throughout the season even though he got injured, but instead he "barely heard from" the veteran signal-caller.
Wilson was benched in favor of journeyman Tim Boyle after the team's Week 15 loss to the Miami Dolphins, and although he was reportedly told that he would be made inactive for the rest of the season, Saleh changed his mind and told Wilson to prepare to play.
Since Saleh reportedly told Wilson that the team would try to trade him during the offseason, he refused to play in order to prevent himself from getting injured behind New York's struggling and injury-decimated offensive line.
Saleh reportedly had Rodgers speak to Wilson in hopes of getting him to change his mind, but Wilson stood his ground.
When news of Wilson's refusal to play leaked to the media, Saleh reportedly went into a "tailspin," as he attempted to find out who leaked the information. He even reportedly threatened to confiscate staff members' cellphones.
Saleh also reportedly used Rodgers' injury as an excuse for the team's struggles, going so far as to research the record of other NFL head coaches when they are without their starting quarterback.
When the Jets acquired Rodgers from the Green Bay Packers this past offseason, it was assumed that Wilson's days as a starter were numbered.
He had failed to take a firm grip of the job in multiple opportunities, and the Jets organization was clearly growing impatient due in large part to the fact that it hadn't reached the playoffs since 2010.
The playoff drought extended to a league-high 13 consecutive seasons this year, and 14 is a possibility if the 40-year-old Rodgers doesn't heal as well as hoped from the Achilles tear.
However, given the fact that Rodgers has a dead cap hit of over $66 million in 2024,
per Spotrac, the Jets essentially have no choice other than to hope that the four-time NFL MVP and one-time Super Bowl champion can bounce back."
