Tension clearly brewing between former 49ers coordinator and his controversial QB

Jets head coach Robert Saleh seems to be growing increasingly frustrated with his quarterback, Aaron Rodgers.

You'd have to ask him about it, but it's reasonable to think New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh occasionally wishes he was back with the San Francisco 49ers as their defensive coordinator, a role he occupied under head coach Kyle Shanahan from 2017 through 2020 before heading to the Big Apple.

No insane East Coast media scrutiny. No expectations of turning around a perennially underachieving franchise.

No quarterback in Aaron Rodgers.

Rodgers, of course, commands interest from Niners fans for plenty of reasons, certainly including the four postseason losses he has against his boyhood team.

But his tenure in New York has been rocky, too, including a ruptured Achilles just moments into his first regular-season game with Gang Green a season ago.

Now, with mandatory minicamp underway for Saleh's squad, Rodgers has gotten himself back in the headlines by opting not to attend these sessions. Sure, the 40-year-old future Hall of Famer could and should receive special treatment.

Yet Rodgers' own quirks and controversial personality push the narrative well beyond a star player receiving such special attention.

And it seems as if Saleh is growing tired of it.

Robert Saleh is subtly getting tired of Aaron Rodgers

Earlier this week, Saleh told reporters that Rodgers' absence from minicamp was of the unexcused variety.

While some may (and have) call it a botch job by Saleh, who could have avoided the controversy by merely saying Rodgers' absence was cleared in advance, a potentially bigger headache stemmed by the fact other Jets players weren't made aware of Rodgers non-participation only by the quarterback physically not being present.

Adding to the drama, when asked if he had been in contact with Rodgers over the last two days, Saleh responded by saying he hadn't:

"Aaron and I are on the exact same page," Saleh added when asked about the term, "unexcused" (h/t Pro Football Talk). "There’s no issue between Aaron or his teammates for that matter. So, like I said, we addressed it yesterday. It’s more of an issue for everyone outside the building than it is inside, and that’s about it."

Check out Saleh's body language, though:

Without diving too deep into perceptions, it surely doesn't appear as if Saleh regards this as a non-issue even if he's saying otherwise.

Rodgers does his own thing. That's known. Saleh knows it, too. And he's also seeing how Rodgers' antics can become a distraction inside the locker room and beyond.

In short, it's a headache. One that Saleh would probably prefer not to have on his hands.

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