Aaron Rodgers' whereabouts during minicamp absence revealed and NY Jets fans won't like it

NY Jets fans and the greater NFL media speculated about Aaron Rodgers' whereabouts during his "unexcused" absence from his team's mandatory minicamp earlier this month. Now, it seems as though we have our answer.

Rodgers' former teammate, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, joined Jason McIntyre on FS1's "The Herd" on Thursday and revealed that he had been working out with Rodgers in the Los Angeles area this week.

This prompted McIntyre to respond with a message telling all "New York media" to "stand down" because Rodgers is "back from Egypt." As McIntyre said, "it's not a secret anymore."

What exactly was Rodgers doing in Egypt during Jets mandatory minicamp? That much remains unclear. But it's now essentially been confirmed that Rodgers was in Africa while the Jets were hosting minicamp in June.

This isn't the first we've heard of Rodgers and Egypt, either.

What was Aaron Rodgers doing in Egypt during NY Jets minicamp?

ESPN's Rich Cimini had previously speculated that Rodgers had made the trip to Egypt during minicamp a couple of weeks ago. Cimini noted that Rodgers had spoken about his desire to visit the Middle Eastern country in a podcast with his then-girlfriend, Danica Patrick, four years ago.

"Before I die, I would like to stand between the paws of the Sphinx."

- Aaron Rodgers

Again, we don't know exactly what Rodgers was doing in Egypt, but it sounds like it's a place he simply wanted to visit. Why that visit had to occur during a mandatory portion of the Jets' offseason program is unclear.

Former NFL quarterback Chase Daniel previously hinted that Rodgers' absence was an "expensive" one and a trip to Northern Africa certainly qualifies as such. The hints have been there all along.

While Jets fans likely won't be too happy with this revelation, the reality of the situation hasn't changed much. Rodgers reportedly informed the Jets months in advance that he would be unable to attend minicamp. By all accounts, his teammates and coaching staff were understanding.

Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner defended Rodgers on social media after the four-time MVP received significant backlash from media members for his absence, noting that Rodgers had been in attendance for every voluntary practice of the offseason.

If his teammates and coaches don't care, there's probably no reason for fans or media members to care, either. Of course, this is Aaron Rodgers we're talking about. The backlash will come whether it's deserving (it oftentimes is) or not. That's just who he is.

It's certainly not ideal for Rodgers to be skipping minicamp for a vacation to Egypt, but in reality, his absence from two days of padless practices in June will have no bearing on the success the Jets have in 2024.

As long as Rodgers shows up for training camp and looks the part during the season, this will be a tiny footnote in his Jets career.