After a 2023 season that lasted just four snaps before a torn Achilles, 2024 was supposed to be the year for Aaron Rodgers and the Jets. The veteran and future Hall-of-Famer came into training camp without any physical limitations. And with plenty of playmakers around him and a revamped offensive line, this was the season when Rodgers would truly be able to take the Jets to the next level and end their decade-plus playoff drought.
That was the way things were supposed to go.
But then it all went wrong.
Fast forward to current day, and the Jets have already packed up their bags for the offseason after an incredibly disappointing 5-12 season. Rodgers played through a number of bumps and bruises, perhaps more so than he let on, and even after adding his longtime favorite target in Davante Adams, the Jets offense looked out of sync for virtually the entire year.
Rodgers is on the books for the 2025 season with a $23.5 million cap hit. The Jets would actually end up paying him $37.5 million in cash between his $2.5 million base salary and his $35 million bonus. Rodgers reworked his contract in 2023 and it’s still a bit complicated in its structure, but the Jets could potentially release Rodgers with a post-June 1 designation, which would allow the team to split his $49 million in dead cap money over the next two years.
So, with all of that said, should the Jets bring Rodgers back for what’s currently the final year of his contract, or would it be wiser to simply cut ties and go in a different direction at quarterback?
Let’s dig in…
WHY RODGERS SHOULD BE BACK
For the section of fans who don’t want Rodgers to come back, the question is this: If not Rodgers, then who?
Even with a new head coach and GM coming in, the Jets likely aren’t looking at a full teardown and rebuild. There is talent all over the roster, so would you trust that talent to a rookie quarterback? The Jets own the 7th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, so unless they trade up, they’re not going to land Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward, the only two QB prospects deemed as potential franchise QBs. So landing a starting QB in the draft isn’t going to happen.
The free agency pool of QBs is also a bit of a wasteland. Sam Darnold will be coming off a great season and it will be interesting to see what the Vikings do with last year’s first-round pick J.J. McCarthy. But Darnold could very well stay in Minnesota, and it’s difficult to see him wanting to sign back with the Jets after the club traded him to Carolina.
Aside from Darnold and Russell Wilson (who could end up staying in Pittsburgh), other potential free agent options include Justin Fields, Daniel Jones, Zach Wilson, Trey Lance, Mac Jones, Jameis Winston, Desmond Ridder, Jimmy Garoppolo and Carson Wentz, among others. Simply put, it’s a very uninspiring group, and there’s no one on the list who you could point to as a difference-maker.
If Rodgers goes, the most likely scenario for the Jets may very well be Tyrod Taylor, who spent the 2024 season as the Jets’ backup but has plenty of starting experience in the NFL. The Jets could let Taylor start as they try to develop a rookie QB, but again, New York will be looking for a quick turnaround — and it’s hard to envision Taylor being the driving force behind a playoff run.
All of that is a long-winded way to say that Rodgers, who had a down year in 2024 with 3,897 passing yards and 28 touchdowns against 11 interceptions, is still probably the Jets’ best option for 2025.
WHY RODGERS SHOULD GO
As much as Rodgers has said that he wants the Jets to eliminate distractions, it’s hard not to point out how much of a distraction Rodgers himself has been. Rodgers can often be controversial off the field, and whether he’s criticized fairly or unfairly, the quarterback seems to attract extra attention everywhere he plays, and perhaps the Jets feel better moving on from that drama.
Rodgers will also be 42 next season and is coming off two down seasons in 2024 and 2022 (with Green Bay), with a 2023 season washed away by injury sandwiched in between. Rodgers is in the twilight of his career, and the sunset hasn’t exactly been an Instagram-worthy picture.
The veteran also hasn’t been able to avoid the injury bug the last two seasons, and even though he played through injuries to both knees, his ankle, and his hamstring in 2024, he hasn’t proven he can stay healthy. And the Jets don’t want to spend another season with either their backup playing a large chunk of games, or a hobbled Rodgers playing at far less than 100 percent.
The other part of all of this is whether or not Rodgers wants to be back with the Jets. If he does decide to keep playing rather than retire, will he want to take one more crack at winning with the Jets, or would he prefer to take a shot with another team?
Either way, Rodgers is going to have to learn a new scheme, and that’s not ideal for a quarterback hoping to win one more ring before hanging up his cleats.
VERDICT
Rodgers is the subject of a three-episode documentary titled “Aaron Rodgers: Enigma,” and that really is the best way to describe his future with the Jets. On one hand, it makes sense on paper for the Jets to retain Rodgers and give it one last go with the talented playmakers around him like Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall.
On the other hand, two of Rodgers’ longtime targets – Adams and Allen Lazard – are likely gone, and the Jets could avoid the media circus by parting ways with the enigmatic quarterback.
There are arguments to be made for both decisions, but in the end, the Jets should move on from Rodgers and either bring in a stopgap veteran or let Taylor start, perhaps looking ahead to what should be a much better QB class in the 2026 NFL Draft (Arch Manning, Nico Iamaleava, Garrett Nussmeier, Drew Allar, LaNorris Sellers, Malachi Nelson).
Rodgers very well could end up retiring, but if he wants to play one more season, the prediction here is that it won’t be with the Jets, and a mutual parting of ways would be best for both the team and the player.
