Aaron Rodgers makes appearance at UFC 303 amid Jets minicamp absence

Aaron Rodgers made his first public appearance since the drama over his whereabouts while the New York Jets began mandatory minicamp earlier this month.

Rodgers was seen cageside at UFC 303 in Las Vegas on Saturday night. He was seen with his former Green Bay Packers teammate, tight end Marcedes Lewis. The veteran NFL player now plays for the Chicago Bears.

The star quarterback has been absent from minicamp. Jets head coach Robert Saleh described it as an “unexcused absence,” which sparked a whirlwind of controversy from sports pundits in the New York City area.

Saleh tried to put all the hoopla to rest.

“Aaron and I are on the exact same page,” Saleh said earlier this month, via the New York Post. “There’s no issue between Aaron (and me]) or his teammates, for that matter. We addressed it (Tuesday). It’s more of an issue for everyone outside the building than it is inside. That’s about it.”

49ERS’ KYLE SHANAHAN HOPES TO REDUCE CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREY’S WORKLOAD NEXT SEASON

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling, who also played with Rodgers in Green Bay, said on “The Herd” on Thursday that he had just worked out with the quarterback in Los Angeles.

“Me and Aaron have been great friends since I’ve been in Green Bay. I hit him up, told him I was coming out to L.A., and said, ‘Let’s run some routes,’” Valdes-Scantling said. “So, we got it in, went out to some high school, and ran some routes together. We’re good. It was good.”

Rodgers was at organized team activities earlier in the offseason.

Rodgers was the Jets’ biggest acquisition last year, but only played in four snaps before he tore his Achilles. 

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.