Aaron Rodgers' exchange with New York Jets head coach raises eyebrows after touchdown

Aaron Rodgers made his New York Jets debut on Thursday Night Football, with the veteran quarterback returning to NFL action for the first time since suffering a torn Achilles last October

Aaron Rodgers appeared to be visibly frustrated with head coach Robert Saleh, despite the New York Jets taking a bigger lead against the New England Patriots during Thursday Night Football.

Energised by an enthusiastic MetLife Stadium crowd, Rodgers and the Jets' offence started strong. By halftime, Rodgers had clocked up over 150 yards and one touchdown, which included a precise 10-yard throw to Allen Lazard and a determined sprint from Breece Hall into the endzone, pushing the Jets ahead with a 14-3 score.

The moment Hall made his touchdown leap past the goal line, Rodgers moved towards the sideline where an excited Saleh was waiting. The coach seemed keen to embrace Rodgers to celebrate, but the 40-year-old quarterback wasn't in the mood for festivities.

Instead of joining the cheer, Rodgers shoved Saleh away and seemed to let out frustration in a curious exchange. It appeared he was annoyed about a certain play, with some suggesting from the unclear video that he might have told Saleh: "Don't call that".

Rodgers' apparent dissatisfaction presumably stemmed from the toss play to Hall at the Patriots 21, which resulted in a seven-yard loss for the Jets. However, they swiftly recovered when Rodgers delivered a powerful 22-yard pass to tight end Tyler Conklin, setting the stage for Hall's goal-line push three plays later.

The buzz around Rodgers' dynamic with coach Saleh has dominated off-season gossip, intensifying as the quarterback geared up for a comeback post-Achilles injury.

There was drama in June when Rodgers dodged minicamp, jetting off to Egypt and pocketing fines north of $50,000. Rodgers back then shrugged off chatter about friction with Saleh at the time.

He said: "It's obviously more of an issue outside the building than there was inside the building. Robert and I are great. We had great conversations throughout the offseason. [We] had a fun one last night in his office till later on. So, it is what it is.

"I'm an adult. I knew what I was getting into. I knew the fine that was coming and also knew how much I wanted to be in Egypt. I wish there hadn't been a conflict scheduling-wise, but it was what it was."

Saleh too seemed keen to turn the page on the episode, confirming their solid rapport. His take was clear: "I've had dialogue with Aaron throughout the summer. I got some cool pictures from him. [We] had our normal conversations. Nothing has been broken, but the minicamp stuff, we talked beforehand, so we are on the same page with everything that has happened."