Aaron Rodgers went to the New York Jets looking for a storybook ending to his legendary career, following the blueprint set by Tom Brady and Peyton Manning,
Brady and Manning left their original franchises, where they’d established themselves as football royalty, under strained circumstances. Rodgers’ final years with the Green Bay Packers were also drama-filled.
But unlike Brady and Manning, there was no Super Bowl victory with his second team for Rodgers. Just a major injury, firings, and lots of losses.
The Jets announced last week that they were parting ways with Rodgers, nearly two years after a blockbuster acquisition meant to transform the team into a championship contender.
New York’s statement was full of gratitude and well-wishes for Rodgers, but no amount of gushing can hide the fact that Rodgers’ time with the Jets was an unmitigated disaster.
How the Rodgers-Jets partnership failed
Rodgers arrived in New York upon a wave of optimism. His final season in Green Bay wasn’t up to his standards, but he’d won back-to-back MVPs the prior two seasons.
For years, instability at quarterback had doomed the Jets. But they had a core of offensive talent that would finally get unleashed thanks to Rodgers.
They also had a young, ascending defense that finished fourth in points allowed the year prior.
That hope turned into despair almost immediately when Rodgers suffered a torn Achilles in the opening drive of the first game. He was lost for the season, and the Jets missed the playoffs without him.
New York had given into Rodgers’ demands, bringing in his offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett to run his preferred system and signing his ex-Packers receivers Randall Cobb and Allen Lazard.
But without the star quarterback to gel things together, the Jets were an incohesive mess.
Rodgers returned to health in 2024, but he had one of his worst statistical seasons as the Jets imploded:
- June 2024: Rodgers skips mandatory minicamps for a trip to Egypt
- October 2024: Head coach Robert Saleh fired after 2-3 start
- October 2024: Jets acquire wide receiver Davante Adams, Rodgers’ former teammate, from the Las Vegas Raiders
- November 2024: General Manager Joe Douglas fired
- January 2025: Jets finish 5-12 to miss playoffs for 14th straight season, the longest drought in the NFL
- January 2025: Jets hire Aaron Glenn as HC and Darren Mougey as GM
- February 2025: Glenn and Mougey meet with Rodgers and inform him of the decision to part ways
Where does Rodgers play next?
Rodgers is 41 years old, an age when most quarterbacks are sitting at home with their feet up on Sundays. Only Brady — always the exception, never the rule — has played at an elite level and won a championship after 40.
But Rodgers urged the Jets to stick with him for another season or two before accepting New York had made its final decision, sources told Steve Helling and Ryan Dunleavy of The New York Post.
Perhaps Rodgers will change his mind with a few weeks (and maybe another darkness retreat) to consider his future before free agency. But let’s work under the assumption he’ll play in 2025.
Here are bet365’s odds for Rodgers’ next team.
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Pittsburgh Steelers | +160 |
| Las Vegas Raiders | +200 |
| Minnesota Vikings | +600 |
| San Francisco 49ers | +600 |
| Tennessee Titans | +800 |
| Indianapolis Colts | +1200 |
| New York Giants | +1200 |
| Cleveland Browns | +1400 |
Unfortunately for Rodgers, there don’t seem to be any championship-ready rosters that just need a final piece to complete the puzzle.
Well, at least not one that’ll be interested in this diminished version of Rodgers.
Minnesota and San Francisco being joint-third in odds show how limited Rodgers’ options are. Neither landing spot makes much sense, in my opinion.
The Vikings are coming off a 14-3 season but would surely rather re-sign impending free agent Sam Darnold or roll with sophomore J.J. McCarthy, who’ll be healthy after missing his rookie year.
The 49ers are Rodgers’ hometown team and infamously passed on him at the top of the 2004 draft. But they have Brock Purdy and an offensive system that they won’t want to bend around Rodgers’ preferences.
Purdy isn’t a star and a looming big-money extension complicates matters, but San Francisco has reiterated its commitment to him. They can’t throw that away for maybe one season of a declining Rodgers.
Instead, I see Rodgers having two good-not-great options. Here are the pros and cons for each, from the quarterback’s perspective.
Raiders
Pros
• Brady’s presence as minority owner
• Win-now head coach in Pete Carroll
• Second-most cap space
Cons
• AFC West one of the NFL’s strongest divisions
• Poor receiver and running back talent
• Defense among worst units in 2024
Steelers
Pros
• Stable ownership with a history of success
• Strong roster coming off a 10-win season
• Established head coach in Mike Tomlin
Cons
• Potential personality clash with Tomlin
• Play in the highly competitive AFC North
• Only one legitimate receiver in George Pickens
What’s next for the Jets?
The Jets are rebuilding. Again. This time it’ll surely work, right?
Glenn does boast the resume to turn around the Jets. He helped transform the Detroit Lions from one of the NFL’s most maligned franchises into a Super Bowl contender.
He’ll have his work cut out with the Jets’ defense, though. The unit collapsed after Saleh was fired and needs a total overhaul. New York has 10 of its top 16 defensive snap leaders set to hit free agency.
Meanwhile, on offense, New York will need to cut Adams to avoid a huge cap hit, but the cupboard isn’t bare elsewhere.
Garrett Wilson has three straight 1,000-yard seasons to start his career. Breece Hall and Braelon Allen are a solid one-two punch in the backfield. Offensive linemen Alijah Vera-Tucker and Olu Fashanu are foundational young pieces.
Who’ll play quarterback remains the biggest question, though.
Kirk Cousins
Cousins reportedly will be available after a late-season benching in his first season with the Atlanta Falcons.
The quarterback’s no-trade clause means a release is likely, and he could be cheap as the Falcons will still be on the hook for a large portion of his contract.
But Cousins is also 36 years old and coming off several injuries. Do the Jets want to go down that road again?
Sam Darnold
Could Darnold, who flamed out in New York after being picked at No. 3 in 2018, return for a shot at redeeming his name?
On the back of a career season with the Vikings, Darnold will likely be the most in-demand passer in a weak free-agent class.
While it would be a fascinating storyline, Darnold will probably command too much money for the Jets.
Rookie QB
Holders of the No. 7 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Jets are likely too far back to land one of the two quarterback prospects (Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders).
That means New York will have to make an aggressive trade upward to land Ward or Sanders. A more realistic option is to use one of its later picks to secure a second-tier prospect like Jalen Milroe or Quinn Ewers.
Justin Fields
If Cousins isn’t interested in joining a rebuilding team and Darnold is too expensive, then New York’s other main veteran option is Fields.
The former first-round pick has failed to live up to expectations, but that means he’ll be relatively cheap and won’t need a long-term deal.
Fields also arguably played his best football in a short stint as the Steelers’ starter last season before Russell Wilson was handed back the top job.
Final thoughts
The Jets weren’t likely to make the playoffs regardless of whether Rodgers was there or not. Cutting ties now allows them to begin another lengthy and painful rebuild, but one that’s undeniably necessary.
For Rodgers, there’s no easy path to that elusive second Super Bowl title. Maybe a career in the TV booth will become more attractive with more time to consider what another grueling season and another new team will cost.
But for my money, Rodgers isn’t the type of personality to let last season be the final note in an otherwise Hall of Fame-worthy career. And where better to roll the dice one last time than Las Vegas!
