The New York Jets will be moving on from quarterback Aaron Rodgers after two seasons, the team announced on Thursday.
“Last week we met with Aaron and shared that our intention was to move in a different direction at quarterback,” said new head coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey in a statement. “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.”
Rodgers joined the Jets in 2023 after 18 seasons with the Green Bay Packers. His first year in New York didn’t go as planned as he suffered a torn Achilles tendon minutes into Week 1 of the 2023 season. This past season, the 41-year-old threw for 3,897 yards and recorded 28 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions in 17 games.
The Jets reportedly had several stipulations for Rodgers if they were going to move forward together into 2025, according to The Athletic’s Diana Russini. One of them seemed simple enough: he had to attend all mandatory practices. While that feels like a given, Rodgers actually missed a pair of minicamp practices last summer while on vacation in Egypt. The old team leadership didn’t seem to mind that trip much whatsoever. Clearly, Glenn and Mougey wanted to get ahead of that situation this time around.
The big thing, though, is that Rodgers would no longer be allowed to make any outside media appearances during the season — which included his regular, paid spot on ESPN’s “The Pat McAfee Show.”
Rodgers, for better or for worse, has been a regular on that show for years. He reportedly makes over $1 million annually for doing so. While there is football talk, Rodgers has made headlines on the show for sharing conspiracy theories and more. He even once implied that late-night TV host Jimmy Kimmel, a fellow Disney employee, would be exposed as an acquaintance of convicted child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, which the network had to walk back hard after Kimmel threatened to sue.
But despite the chaos he’s frequently brought, Rodgers has remained a regular guest of McAfee’s on the network. At least during the season, it seems the new Jets ownership viewed his appearances on the show as a distraction. So they wanted to put a stop to it.
While there is almost certainly more that went into the Jets-Rodgers split, these two reported new rules are sure to have played a part.
What comes next for Rodgers? He said last month he is going to take time to decide whether he wants to play in 2025 or retire.
Rodgers does not have any guaranteed money left on his deal, and is due $37.5 million in 2025. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Rodgers will likely be a post-June 1 cut, which would help the Jets’ salary cap situation.
Rodgers’ absence is likely to have an impact on his favorite receiver, Davante Adams, who was traded to the Jets in October. Considering Adams’ 2025 salary-cap number — $38.3 million — he would need to agree to a new deal to stay in New York, which is unlikely, especially now that Rodgers will not return.
The Jets currently hold the No. 7 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, which could see them draft a quarterback of the future or dip into the free agent market when it opens in March.
Read the full article here
