On Thursday, the Jets confirmed their discussions with Aaron Rodgers resulted in the decision being made that the team will move in a different direction this offseason. If the future Hall of Fame quarterback is to continue his career in 2025, it will be with another franchise. 
“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,” a joint statement from head coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey reads in part. “We want to thank [Rodgers] for the leadership, passion, and dedication he brought to the organization and wish him success moving forward.”
Rodgers was reportedly prepared to once again restructure his pact to remain in New York, but the franchise’s new regime will make the expected move of starting over at the QB spot. The decision now facing Mougey and Glenn is whether to cut bait immediately or designate the 41-year-old as a post-June 1 release. Taking the latter route (something Mougey is certainly familiar with since his time with the Broncos included Russell Wilson‘s departure) would spread out the dead money charges on Rodgers’ pact across two years.
On that note, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports a post-June 1 cut is likely. Provided that proves to be the case, the Jets will take on a $14MM dead cap charge for 2025 with the remaining $35MM in dead money landing on the team’s 2026 cap sheet. New York would see $9.5MM is savings this year, but only after June 1. Rodgers would remain on the roster until the start of new league year in mid-March if the Jets opted against an immediate release.
In Wilson’s situation last offseason, the Broncos allowed him and his representation to speak to interested teams before he officially became a free agent. That will again be the case this time around with Rodgers. As Rapoport notes, the fact the Jets have announced their intentions means potential suitors can make contact before the two-day legal tampering window opens next month. If the four-time MVP decides to continue playing, he will therefore be able to get a head start on free agency.
The list of suitors for Rodgers could be limited based on his age, middling 2024 production and the tension which emerged with ownership during his Jets tenure. Still, a short-term arrangement could allow him to serve as a bridge starter for a team which drafts a successor as early as this spring. The Jets have Tyrod Taylor under contract, but another starting-caliber option could be on the team’s radar via trade, free agency or the draft. By the time the new league year begins, more clarity on Rodgers’ future and that of the Jets will no doubt emerge.
I’m not saying it’s not worth it to cut him, but for the 23m cap hit they’re better off just letting him play.
What is their best case scenario? Draft a QB round 1 if one falls to them and play taylor on a bridge year?
I guess they assume they’ll be awful again and grab a better pick for 2026 in that scenario and that’s the only positive.
If it’s a culture thing, then sure I get that removing rodgers gives you a better chance to set a better culture.
It’s a new staff with a blank slate not only hoping to build a new culture, but a new program. It’s hard to set a culture of accountability when your team’s headliner is a quarterback who might take off during preseason unexcused. It’s hard to set a culture of focused professionalism when that guy will go on TV regularly to say who knows what and then rail against distractions as if he isn’t one. But also, if you’re going to have a young first time GM, you probably don’t want to have a quarterback who insists on bringing entourage members to the roster. And if you’re going to have a young first time offensive coordinator, you probably don’t want to saddle him with a quarterback who will refuse to run concepts he doesn’t like (especially when they’re concepts that every successful contemporary offense runs).
All of this would be different if the Jets looked ready to contend this year and Rodgers looked like a huge difference maker on that front, but better to start building something that could have a future than sacrificing all that to go all-in on being middle of the pack with an alienating quarterback at the end of his career.
They may already have their development project on the roster in Jordan Travis if he’s healthy. Taylor is likely to be the QB1 going into the season as I don’t see them spending a lot of money on a veteran. Also, there doesn’t appear to be anyone other than Sanders or Ward worth reaching for in the first round. I could possibly see them taking Dart if he’s around in Round 2, but I think they’d give Travis a chance first.
It seems like a culture thing to me and with Rodgers being a low character type person I wouldn’t put it past him to make the new coaching staff’s lives miserable. Best to just cut bait and let Rodgers take his declining talents and lousy attitude elsewhere.
It really doesn’t matter who the QB is because the J-E-T-S are still going to
S-U-C-K
Save the money and embrace the S-U-C-K
So now what? We mailing in the 2025 season already for a pick or are we gonna reach on a QB at 7 and suck for another 3-5 years minimum?
Hey Aaron, Sue the Jets for Age Discrimination.