After the New York Jets’ 21-13 victory over the Houston Texans on Thursday Night Football, some analysts pointed out a seemingly awkward exchange between Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans. There was speculation that there’s tension between the two because of Ryans’ close friendship with former Jets head coach Robert Saleh. Let’s break down the moment and what actually happened.
Did DeMeco Ryans Actually Refuse To Shake Aaron Rodgers’ Hand?
The theory floating around is that Ryans went out of his way to give Rodgers the cold shoulder since the QB may have played a role in Saleh’s firing after the Jets’ 2-3 start.
Ryans and Saleh worked together on the San Francisco 49ers for four seasons. Saleh was the team’s defensive coordinator and Ryans was the inside linebackers coach. Once Saleh accepted the Jets’ head coaching job in 2021, Ryans replaced him as San Francisco’s defensive coordinator, a role he held for two years before he became Houston’s head coach.
“I learned how to coach from being under Saleh,” Ryans told reporters last year. “He taught me a lot when it comes to scheme, when it came to just handling players, game-planning. I learned a lot from Saleh and owe a lot to him. And that’s probably the reason why I’m standing here before you, because of him just taking me under his wing.”
“He knows how to evolve day-to-day,’’ Saleh said of Ryans. “You just knew [with] his demeanor, the way he talked to people [and] treated people, he was always going to be something special.”
So, did Ryans actually give Rodgers the cold shoulder or try to avoid him postgame? This video was shared online by several large accounts and NFL analysts, including NFL insider James Palmer.
Rogers getting a cold shoulder from DeMeco Ryans… pic.twitter.com/0rOOhwHkUu
— Serbian (@BelgradeSerbian) November 1, 2024
While it’s true that Ryans and Saleh are close friends (and it’s possible the Texans head coach isn’t a big fan of Rodgers), there is zero truth to the idea that Ryans didn’t shake Rodgers’ hand.
In fact, in the video, Ryans and Rodgers clearly shake hands at the :03 mark — it’s just a bit tough to see initially because the broadcast cuts to a different camera.
There are even photos of them interacting after the game!
Some fans pointed this out in the replies, but the original tweets are still up and haven’t offered any kind of correction.
Sure, Ryans and Rodgers share a somewhat awkward moment at the :20 mark of the video, but that could just be because they already shook hands and are moving on to greet other people.
It’s worth noting that Rodgers has had some awkward interactions like this before, which often go viral online.
Aaron Rodgers and Robert Saleh after the second touchdown 👀 pic.twitter.com/ppkQyXRI8x
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) September 20, 2024
For example, during the Jets’ Week 3 win over the New England Patriots, Rodgers seemed to deny Saleh a hug after the team’s second touchdown. The internet tried to read Rodgers’ lips and assumed he was saying that it was too early to be celebrating. However, after the game, Rodgers and Saleh explained what actually happened.
“He’s not a big hugger usually, so I didn’t know he was going for the hug,” Rodgers told reporters with a smile. “He likes to do the two-hand chest push as well. He talks a lot about two-score leads. So I kind of gave him a push and said, ‘Two-score lead.'”
Saleh explained that he and Rodgers talked prior to the game about the importance of getting a two-score lead for the defense.
While Saleh was eventually fired not long after, did Rodgers actually play a role in that decision?
Did Rodgers Actually Get Saleh Fired?
Immediaely after Saleh was fired, there was speculation that Rodgers played a role in the move, especially after it was reported that Saleh was planning to fire offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, whom Rodgers is very close with.
However, Rodgers responded to those accusations the very next day on The Pat McAfee Show.
“As far as any of the ridiculous allegations out there, I’m not gonna spend more than one sentence in response to it, and that is: I resent any of those accusations because they are patently false,” Rodgers said. “It’s interesting — the amount of power that people think I have, which I don’t. I love Robert.”
"I resent any of those accusations, because they are patently false. It's interesting, the amount of power that people think I have, which I don't."
– Aaron Rodgers on Robert Saleh's firing
(via @PatMcAfeeShow) pic.twitter.com/5tBeMmdut3
— Jets Videos (@snyjets) October 9, 2024
Rodgers added that Saleh was one of the reasons why he initially wanted to join the Jets, describing him as “a fantastic human being,” “a damn good football coach,” and “a family man.”
“I love Coach Saleh. We have a very solid relationship, we have since I met him in 2021,” Rodgers said. “He was a big reason why I came to the Jets. I felt like the team was a solid team.”
While it’s impossible to know if Rodgers is telling the truth, it is worth noting that what he said lined up with what others in the building said about the firing.
Jets owner Woody Johnson described the firing as “my decision and mine alone.” Also, tight end Tyler Conklin told reporters that Rodgers took the news of Saleh’s firing “harder than almost anybody.”
So, to recap, the internet has spun up this narrative about Ryans refusing to shake Rodgers’ hand because he got his close friend fired. However, it turns out they did shake hands, and he may not have had anything to do with the firing in the first place.