Aaron Rodgers at the center of conspiracy theories after 'strange' firing of Jets coach Robert Saleh

The New York Jets shocked the NFL by firing head coach Robert Saleh just five games into the season, leaving fans and pundits speculating that star quarterback Aaron Rodgers might have played a role in his ousting. 

Team owner Woody Johnson announced Tuesday that Saleh had been relieved of his duties after three and a half years with the team, promoting defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich to interim coach. 

Despite entering the season with Super Bowl aspirations, the Jets' 2-3 record led Johnson to feel that a change in leadership was necessary.  

Rodgers, whose Achilles injury sidelined him after just four snaps in the 2023 season, has been an influential figure in the Jets’ front office decisions, prompting some to theorize he had a say in Saleh’s dismissal. 

“I would say maybe Aaron might be one of those guys. But I was under the impression that they got along and that Aaron is very close to the offensive coordinator in New York,” former NBC Sports sideline reporter Michele Tafoya said during an appearance on *Don’t @ Me with Dan Dakich*. 

“This is a strange one to me. But the Jets are looking to shake things up. Obviously, this has been an incredibly disappointing start for the entire team. A lot of people want to point the finger at Aaron. Maybe this is a way to try to shift blame. I don't know. This is fascinating to me,” Tafoya added.

The relationship between Saleh and Rodgers has been a hot topic of speculation in recent weeks, but both have refuted rumors of a rift. "We’re really good friends," Rodgers said just last week. 

"We spend time almost every day talking about the energy of the team, the focus, what we need to get done, how I can help him, how he can help me. We’ve got a great relationship."

Meanwhile, Johnson maintains that the decision to fire Saleh was entirely his own. While he admitted to speaking with Rodgers the night before, Johnson stated that the head coach's future did not come up in their conversation.