Aaron Rodgers explains what he said to Robert Saleh in awkward TNF hug debacle

The NY Jets' dominating 24-3 win over the New England Patriots on Thursday Night Football was mostly drama-free for Gang Green, but one of the most talked-about moments of the night happened on the sideline when cameras caught an awkward exchange between Aaron Rodgers and head coach Robert Saleh.

Following a Breece Hall touchdown that put the Jets up 14-0 in the second quarter, Rodgers approached Saleh on the sideline for what appeared to be a celebratory hug. Instead of an easy, feel-good moment, viewers saw an interaction that seemed awkward and tense.

Rodgers appeared to reject Saleh's hug attempt while giving him a little shove, resulting in a clumsy embrace that sparked confusion among fans and commentators alike.

Rodgers, never one to shy away from addressing a viral moment, cleared up the situation in his postgame press conference. According to the four-time MVP, the exchange wasn’t as uncomfortable as it looked.

"Awkward? No. It wasn't awkward at all. He's not a big hugger usually, so I didn't know he was going for the hug. He likes to do the two-hand chest push as well. But he talks a lot about two-score leads. So, I just gave him a push and said, 'Two-score lead.' That's what happened."

Aaron Rodgers

Saleh downplayed the exchange as well and seemed surprised that it was even a talking point, telling reporters that " just wanted to see something on defense. Just reminded me we got a two-score lead."

The Aaron Rodgers-Robert Saleh exchange was predictably a non-story

As soon as the footage of Aaron Rodgers and Robert Saleh's sideline exchange was shown on live TV, social media went into overdrive with speculation about what went wrong. Did Rodgers intentionally snub Saleh? Was there tension brewing between the star quarterback and the head coach?

In reality, it was much ado about nothing — just another example of how a brief, misunderstood moment can explode into a “controversy” in the NFL media cycle, especially as it pertains to the Jets.

This sort of sideline exchange happens all the time in professional sports, and it isn't even new to Rodgers and the Jets. Rodgers was previously seen getting into a "heated" discussion with Garrett Wilson during training camp this past July.

The national media predictably made this out to be a massive deal and a sign that trouble was brewing in Florham Park. But as anyone who follows the team closely could have told you, that couldn't have been further from the truth.

Rodgers was electric for the Jets on Thursday night, completing 27 of 35 passes for 281 yards and two touchdowns. He moved well inside and outside the pocket, controlled the game, and looked every bit of the confident future Hall of Fame quarterback who won consecutive MVPs just a few short years ago.

No amount of manufactured "drama" can take that away from Rodgers or the Jets. The narrative that the exchange pointed to a rift between Rodgers and Saleh was predictably overblown, and both quickly shut down the speculation. As far as sideline moments go, this was a non-story.

The Rodgers-Saleh exchange may have dominated social media chatter for a moment, but the real story is that the Jets walked away with a potentially franchise-altering win. As long as Rodgers plays anywhere close to this level, the Jets are here to stay.

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