The Jets are taking their power and their franchise back. The New York Jets disastrous saga with Aaron Rodgers is over after two subpar seasons. On Thursday morning the team announced what everyone saw coming a mile away: That Rodgers will not be a part of the organization going forward in 2025.
The transition comes a few weeks after the team hired Aaron Glenn on January 22 to be their new head coach, which naturally raised questions whether a new coaching staff with a different vision and culture for the team had any room for Rodgers in it.
“Last week we met with Aaron and shared that our intention was to move in a different direction at quarterback,” coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey said in a joint statement released by the team. “It was important to have this discussion now to provide clarity and enable each of us the proper time to plan for our respective futures. We want to thank him for the leadership, passion, and dedication he brought to the organization and wish him success moving forward.”
What was hyped and built to be a Super Bowl-winning roster ended up exploding and putting egg on the Jets’ faces. Rodgers suffered a season-ending Achilles injury to kick off 2023 against their division rival Buffalo Bills, then returned only to have his worst season in his entire 20-year career in the NFL, throwing 28 touchdowns, 11 interceptions and a career low passer-rating of 90.5 as a starter.
The Jets bent over backwards to mold a roster specially for Rodgers, signing a plethora of players from his time with the Green Bay Packers like Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb, as well as making a big trade with the Las Vegas Raiders for Davante Adams, all in an effort to make Rodgers work. It never did, and the end result was a 5-12 record, as well as head coach Robert Saleh being unfairly let go after a loss overseas.
Embed from Getty Images“I personally want to thank Aaron for his time at the New York Jets,” Jets owner Woody Johnson said in a statement. “His arrival in 2023 was met with unbridled excitement and I will forever be grateful that he chose to join us to continue his Hall of Fame career. From day one, he embodied all that it meant to be a New York Jet, embraced our fans, and immersed himself in our city. That is what I will remember most when I look back at his time here. He will always be welcome, and I wish him only the best in whatever he chooses to do next.”
Rodgers, 41, has one year remaining on his contract, a nonguaranteed $37.5 million. He was due to count $23.5 million against the cap.
The Jets will be left with $49 million in dead money, which can be spread over two years if he is designated a post-June 1 cut. In that scenario, they would have to carry his $23.5 million on the cap until June 1. At that point, he would count $14 million in 2025, a net savings of $9.5 million.
It remains a mystery whether Rodgers will land anywhere in the NFL, or if he will walk off into the sunset and retire. Should Rodgers decide to enter free agency there is a very good possibility he will find a new football home, especially with an abundance of teams needing help at the quarterback position, to go along with slim pickings of talent in the NFL Draft.
At this point it is time to turn the page for the Jets. The organization made a fantastic hire in landing Glenn, and he will look to bring the same kind of defensive tenacity to New York that he displayed in Detroit. At quarterback the team will likely look for someone to manage the game and not put the ball in harm’s way, at least until they find themselves in a spot to find a franchise quarterback of the future.
