As he continues to deal with his latest nagging injury, Aaron Rodgers confirmed he will play the Jets’ final two games this season. Whether those matchups represent the final ones of his tenure with the team — if not of his career — remains to be seen.
Signs have long pointed to a parting of ways between the parties, and Rodgers himself admitted on Monday he could be released once the regular season ends. The four-time MVP’s preference would be to remain in New York if he elects to continue his career for at least one more season. It is still uncertain at this point, though, if Rodgers will suit up for the 2025 campaign.
On the Jets’ side of things, major organizational decisions loom which will no doubt have an impact on Rodgers. The team needs a new general manager and head coach, and it would come as no surprise if the new regime (once in place) elects to move in a different direction under center. Indeed, the Jets have been named as a team to watch regarding the addition of a quarterback through the draft, although Rodgers appears to be on board with taking a pay cut if it helps him stay in place for one more year. With plenty still to be sorted out, the 41-year-old noted on Tuesday his future is up in the air.
“There’s a GM that has to get hired, I would assume first, and then he’s going to be a part of hiring the head coach,” Rodgers said (via ESPN’s Rich Cimini). “And then so I have to be in the plans of multiple people, starting with the ownership and then the GM and then the head coach. So that’s why to me, that would not be a conversation I’m expecting anytime soon until those things are in place.”
The Jets will miss the postseason once again this year, so moves on the coaching and GM fronts will likely take place relatively soon. Owner Woody Johnson will of course have a key role to play in the latter search in particular, and whether or not the new group of decision-makers wants to keep Rodgers around. A rift between owner and QB has been suggested multiple times, with Johnson having wanted to bench Rodgers at least once earlier this year. The longtime Packer has reportedly been frustrated with the handling of former offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett‘s demotion, a move which stripped power from one of the many people brought in with connections from his time in Green Bay.
When asked if he feels Johnson wants him back at this point, Rodgers simply replied (via Cimini), “you should ask Woody.” Notably, Rodgers added no conversations have taken place regarding how team and player will proceed once the season ends. New York’s offense has not delivered on expectations in 2024, although in recent weeks (sparked in no small part by the reunion between Rodgers and wideout Davante Adams) the unit has shown signs of improvement. Still, resetting under center — and quite probably moving on from Adams along the way — will be a feasible move for the team this offseason.
Rodgers reiterated his desire to remain a Jet for 2025, but he added there would be “no offense” taken if a release were to take place. Even if the team’s top brass express a willingness to keep him on board, the future Hall of Famer said he would take time to contemplate his situation. Rodgers, of course, nearly retired prior to arriving with the Jets via trade in the spring of 2023. His Achilles tear four snaps into his debut with his new team set up a pay cut and a return for this season, but things have not gone according to plan (as evidenced by the midseason firings of Robert Saleh and, later, Joe Douglas).
Rodgers has increasingly found himself in the spotlight during the waning years of his career, and questions about his future will continue until clarity emerges. It will not be for some time until that point arrives, but his situation will serve as a central storyline for the Jets as the franchise approaches a critical offseason.
