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Woody Johnson Nixed Jets Effort To Acquire Jerry Jeudy, Impeded Joe Douglas On Bryce Huff, Haason Reddick

November 20th, 2024 at 10:26pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Jets are barreling toward their 14th straight season wrapping without a playoff berth, and their Robert Saleh-Joe Douglas regime’s unraveling points to ownership having a more difficult time filling its HC and GM positions come 2025.

Woody Johnson‘s meddling has become an issue for the Jets. The longtime owner admitted he went around Douglas to fire Saleh, something that led to the sixth-year GM losing power during his final weeks on the job. Other Jets power brokers led the way in the Davante Adams trade and Haason Reddick resolution talks. Earlier this year, however, Johnson stood as a roadblock to Douglas’ efforts to improve the team’s roster in other ways.

We heard in March the Jets joined the Browns and Patriots in pursuing Jerry Jeudy. The then-Broncos wide receiver, a trade-block staple alongside ex-teammate Courtland Sutton, went to Cleveland for fifth- and sixth-round picks. Denver may well have obtained more for the former first-round pick had Douglas gotten his way.

The Jets are believed to have offered a Day 2 pick and Allen Lazard — a 2023 Broncos target — for Jeudy, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini and Zack Rosenblatt, only to see Johnson nix any potential deal. Jeudy going into his age-25 season intrigued the Jets, who aimed to avoid aging players in this year’s free agency (subscription required). That did not end up happening, as Tyron Smith and Mike Williams joined trade pickup Morgan Moses in joining the Jets in March.

It would have been interesting if the Broncos were willing to acquire Lazard, who was still owed a fully guaranteed base salary ($10MM) this year. Lazard underwhelmed after receiving $22MM guaranteed at signing in 2023. Denver did end up giving Josh Reynolds a two-year, $9MM deal; Lazard would have been costlier. Jeudy, who would have joined Garrett Wilson and potentially affected the Jets’ interest in Adams, has since signed a Browns extension.

Weeks later, Douglas signed off on acquiring Reddick despite warnings from his camp the Jets should not trade for the talented edge rusher unless they wanted to extend him. As it turns out, Douglas appeared more open to an extension than he initially let on. Reddick had expressed frustration with the Jets, believing they would revisit extension talks. Douglas may well have been onboard here, per The Athletic, which attributes the resistance to extending the then-29-year-old EDGE to Johnson. Even as Johnson helped bring Reddick into the fold in October, he certainly looks to have prevented his then-GM from extending him this offseason.

Before the Jets zeroed in on Reddick, they let Bryce Huff walk. Huff joined the Eagles on a three-year, $51MM deal, but if Douglas had his way, the team may have made a stronger effort to re-sign the team’s 2023 sack leader. Johnson is believed to have blocked his GM from making an extension offer to Huff, whom many teams pursued once the Jets let him hit the market. We heard in early February no offer had come. This came months after Johnson is believed to have restricted his GM from making a stronger effort to replace Aaron Rodgers once the QB suffered an Achilles tear.

Johnson also drove an effort to have safety Tony Adams benched in Week 11, with Russini and Rosenblatt reinforcing the notion the owner has placed too much stock in social media assessments of his team. Rumblings recently pointed to Johnson listening to too many non-football staffers in making decisions. This offseason also featured multiple high-ranking Jets football ops staffers dismissed, with assistant GM Rex Hogan being fired and then player personnel director Chad Alexander becoming the Chargers’ assistant GM. Johnson prevented Douglas from replacing either staffer, Russini and Rosenblatt add. (For what it’s worth, some in the organization believed Hogan had been responsible for many leaks; though, a flood of leaks have come out in the months since.) The owner’s actions led Douglas to tell some remaining Jets staffers Johnson “should just fire me now.”

Also believed to have pushed for the Jets to bench Rodgers after the team’s Week 4 loss to the Broncos — to the point one coach, per The Athletic, asked if the owner was serious — Johnson will have a lot to answer for after this wildly disappointing Jets season.

The Jets are expected to part with Rodgers, whom coaches feared would be embarrassed had Johnson gotten his way with the benching request. After all, Johnson played a key role in Rodgers agreeing to put off retirement and agree to a Jets trade last year. Sitting him for Tyrod Taylor so early in his Achilles comeback would have been one of the more shocking developments in recent NFL history.

This increased meddling will not make it easier for the owner to find quality GM and HC options in 2025, but even as the former ambassador to the United Kingdom is in the mix to reclaim that post under the second Donald Trump administration (a move that would again leave Christopher Johnson as acting owner), Woody Johnson is set to lead the Jets’ searches to replace Saleh and Douglas.

NFL Injury Updates: Evans, Mosley, Ravens

November 20th, 2024 at 10:05pm CST by Ely Allen

The Buccaneers have lost four games in a row, the last three without veteran wide receiver Mike Evans as he has dealt with a hamstring injury. According to Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports, Evans has returned to practice this week and plans to play this weekend against the Giants.

Without Evans, the team’s offense has struggled. Baker Mayfield failed to surpass 200 passing yards in each of the teams last two contests. Though fellow veteran wideout Chris Godwin remains on injured reserve likely until the postseason, Evans’ return should provide a boost to the passing game.

Though Evans was able to rack up six touchdowns in seven games, he’s been averaging the fewest yards per game of his career. Combined with the three-game absence, Evans is in danger of falling short of 1,000 receiving yards in a season for the first time in his 11-year career. He’ll 665 yards in Tampa Bay’s seven remaining games (an average of 95 yards per game) in order to keep his record streak alive.

Here are a couple other injury updates from around the NFL:

  • Veteran Jets linebacker C.J. Mosley has now missed seven games this season. His first couple absences were due to a toe issue, but he has missed New York’s last four games with a herniated disc in his neck. Per Brian Costello of the New York Post, Mosley hopes to return after the team’s bye this week.
  • The Ravens defense has been without veteran nose tackle Michael Pierce for the past three weeks as he sits on IR with a calf injury. According to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic, while the plan is for Pierce to return sometime this season, the team hasn’t set a timeline to bring him back. Additionally, Zrebiec gave an update on veteran cornerback Arthur Maulet, who didn’t make his 2024 season debut until Week 8 because of a knee injury that landed him IR-designated to return at the 53-man roster cut deadline. He missed last Sunday’s game against his former team in Pittsburgh with a calf injury, but Zrebiec claims that Maulet likely won’t need to join Pierce on IR.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/20/24

November 20th, 2024 at 6:43pm CST by Ely Allen

Wednesday’s practice squad moves:

Chicago Bears

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Jets Fire GM Joe Douglas

November 19th, 2024 at 10:05pm CST by Adam La Rose

Weeks after dismissing head coach Robert Saleh, the Jets have also cleaned house in the front office. General manager Joe Douglas has been fired, as first reported by SNY’s Connor Hughes. The move is now official, with the team announcement noting veteran executive Phil Savage will serve as interim GM.

2024 marked the final year of Douglas’ deal, leading to plenty of speculation at the the start of the season regarding his job security. He, Saleh and offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett received a mulligan after the 2023 campaign was marred by Aaron Rodgers‘ Achilles tear. The current season has not gone according to plan, however, and Saleh was fired in October. Hackett remains on staff, but he was replaced by Todd Downing as the team’s offensive play-caller in the wake of Saleh’s departure.

[RELATED: GM Lost Authority Following Saleh’s Firing]

Douglas was not involved in the decision to make a coaching change, something which created the recent appearance of a disconnect between he and owner Woody Johnson. With the campaign headed toward another finish outside of the playoffs, the latter has chosen to make another major organizational change. New York’s efforts in the coming offseason will certainly be a central league storyline.

Naturally, the midseason coaching alterations led to a fresh round of questions concerning Douglas’ standing in the organization. A report from last month indicated both Douglas and interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich were held in high regard by Johnson, however, which suggested the pair would have the remainder of the season to try and oversee a playoff push. Ulbrich has gone 1-5 since taking over, and as such the postseason is out of reach at this point. Rather than allowing Douglas to finish his contract, the team has moved on ahead of time.

Douglas took New York’s GM gig in 2019 after tenures with the Ravens, Bears and Eagles. His time in various capacities across those organizations boosted his stock and led to high expectations for the Jets’ rebuilding efforts with him at the helm. The first year of the Douglas era resulted in a 7-9 campaign with Sam Darnold at quarterback and Adam Gase in place as head coach.

That pairing remained in the fold for one more year, one which resulted in a 2-14 record and sweeping changes being made. Gase was replaced by Saleh, while Darnold was traded away. The latter’s replacement – Zach Wilson – was viewed as the central focus of New York’s ability to return to the postseason. Instead, the former No. 2 pick struggled throughout his Jets tenure, posting a 12-21 record and throwing more interceptions (25) than touchdowns (23). The Saleh-Douglas tandem was retained to oversee another overhaul at the QB spot, with Rodgers being acquired via trade from the Packers last offseason.

That move (which has been followed by a number of other ones aimed at accommodating the four-time MVP’s wishes) was aimed at providing stability under center to complement a roster seen as having a number of capable producers at several other positions. That includes the likes of Sauce Gardner, Garrett Wilson, Jermaine Johnson and Breece Hall. Each of those players were selected in the 2022 draft, and they profile as long-term building blocks for Douglas’ successor to inherit. Still, the failure of the Jets to find an effective solution at the QB spot under Douglas will form much of his legacy.

Rodgers has been in place for 2024, but – despite swinging a deal for Davante Adams ahead of the deadline and working out an agreement which ended the much-maligned Haason Reddick holdout – the Jets sit at 3-8. Rodgers’ future for next season is in the air, and it remains to be seen who will be in place as the team’s head coach and general manager by that time. Johnson may also have another ambassador position in place once the 2025 campaign begins, something which could accelerate the timing of hiring decisions on the sidelines and/or in the front office.

Overall, Douglas will depart the Jets with a record of 30-64. Each of his five full campaigns ended with a losing record, and that will likely be the case for 2024 as well. The Jets’ postseason drought has continued under his supervision, and ending it will be a top priority for whomever Johnson brings in for 2025 and beyond. Douglas’ attention will likely focus on a return to scouting or a player personnel role with his next organization; given his run in charge of the Jets, another GM opportunity should not be expected to be on the horizon.

Jets Likely To Move On From Aaron Rodgers In 2025

November 19th, 2024 at 10:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

This wildly disappointing Jets season has brought a gradual housecleaning, with Joe Douglas‘ exit the latest such move. The team’s attempt to load up its roster around Aaron Rodgers over the past two years has not worked, and the four-time MVP may soon be on his way out as well.

As the Jets are seeing their second blockbuster trade for a longtime Packers QB great fail, they are staring at perhaps another reset — albeit with some solid young pieces in place. Rodgers, who will turn 41 in December, may be more likely than not to be elsewhere once that overhaul commences.

[RELATED: Jeff Ulbrich Considering Play-Calling Change]

Nothing may be concrete just yet, but in the wake of the Douglas firing, SNY’s Connor Hughes reports the Jets would prefer to move on from Rodgers as well. Going further, a source told ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini it would be a “shock” if Rodgers was a Jet next year. Rodgers and Douglas shared a good relationship, Cimini adds, and the QB has advocated for interim HC Jeff Ulbrich. With a restart coming, the sides severing ties appears likely.

This news comes not long after a report indicated Rodgers’ post-2024 New York future was up in the air. Davante Adams expressed some rumored hesitation about Rodgers’ Big Apple future beyond this season; now, the All-Pro wideout is tied to a Jets team in transition. A separation might be mutual, as Rodgers has sought more stability than the Jets have provided.

Rodgers said recently he is leaning toward playing in 2025; this came months after the then-rehabbing QB said he was open to playing into his mid-40s. Based on his play this season, that seems unlikely to happen. While it would not be too hard to see teams pursuing him next year, the ex-Green Bay icon has not come remotely close to following in Peyton Manning and Tom Brady‘s footsteps in terms of success with a second team. Rodgers sits 24th in QBR and has not shown much of his early-2020s MVP form. Considering Rodgers did not fare too well in his final Green Bay season, it is worth wondering what a market would be for a 41-year-old quarterback not too far removed from Achilles surgery.

The Jets swapped first-round picks with the Packers for Rodgers in the April 2023 deal — in a trade that also saw two second-round picks going to the Packers — but sit 3-8 in the 20th-year veteran’s comeback season. Rodgers kept himself in headlines throughout last season by teasing a return from the Achilles tear, doing so despite the Jets struggling with Zach Wilson back at the helm. No comeback commenced, but Rodgers-generated headlines followed into the offseason.

The increasingly outspoken passer all but forced the Jets to retain Nathaniel Hackett as OC this offseason, despite Robert Saleh conducting a stealth push to curb the play-caller’s power by bringing in an assistant. With no title to offer, Saleh did not end up hiring a veteran to help/oversee Hackett, and Rodgers vouched again for the embattled assistant. Saleh planned to demote Hackett, and interim HC Ulbrich ultimately did. Todd Downing‘s transition to the play-calling role has not moved the needle. The Jets rank 26th in scoring and total offense; with Gang Green’s defense also regressing this season, the team is 1-5 under Ulbrich.

When the Jets separated from Brett Favre in 2009, they relinquished his rights due to a poison-pill provision effectively preventing the team from trading the future Hall of Famer to the Vikings. Favre ended up in Minnesota as a free agent, unretiring a second time. Rodgers teased retirement during his final Packers years and famously said he was 90% retired before his 2023 darkness retreat. Rodgers then OK’d a Jets trade, but the results have burned the downtrodden AFC East franchise, which brought in several of Rodgers’ former Packers teammates and coaches.

Due to signing bonus proration and void years on a 2023 Rodgers reworking, a $49MM dead cap hit would come if the Jets released him in 2025. This could be trimmed to just $14MM in the event of a post-June 1 cut. Even though the Broncos blazed new territory for dead money by cutting Russell Wilson (to bring more than $83MM over two years) and the Browns are staring at an unfathomable $170MM-plus bill if they drop Deshaun Watson next year, a $49MM cap penalty is still notable. The Packers ate $40.3MM by trading Rodgers last year, with the Falcons’ 2022 Matt Ryan trade standing as the single-player record ($40.5MM) before the Broncos’ decision.

The Jets rolled with rookie-contract quarterbacks primarily in between Favre and Rodgers. Zach Wilson‘s struggles prompted Woody Johnson to spend for Rodgers to chase course, but the franchise is close to giving up here. It will obviously be interesting to see where the Jets go if/when they move on from Rodgers, who would profile as a boom-or-bust bet as a high-profile stopgap in 2025.

Joe Douglas Fallout: Jets, Johnson, Rodgers, Saleh, Brown, Ravens

November 19th, 2024 at 8:50pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Jets’ firing of general manager Joe Douglas was not necessarily a surprise given the team’s struggles during his tenure, but Tuesday’s announcement still felt unusual with six games remaining in the season. Douglas’ contract was set to expire after the 2025 season, per ESPN’s Rich Cimini, giving New York a natural transition point as they attempt to rebuild from a disastrous two years since trading for quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

However, Jets owner Woody Johnson grew impatient after his team dropped to 3-8 after giving up a fourth-quarter lead to the Colts in Week 11. Rather than wait until the offseason to find his next general manager, Johnson opted to fire Douglas so he could begin the search for a successor without any internal awkwardness, according to Cimini.

Johnson’s statement announcing Douglas’ departure included a note that the team “will begin the process to identify a new General Manager immediately,” though the Jets cannot interview any external candidates until the end of the regular season. Here is the latest coming out of the Jets’ GM firing:

  • Douglas’ days were clearly numbered when he was cut out of Johnson’s decision to fire head coach Robert Saleh in October. The fact that Douglas lasted more than a month longer than Saleh surprised some in New York, per Cimini. Since the team was openly pursuing Davante Adams while trying to resolve Haason Reddick‘s holdout, the Jets may have wanted to keep Douglas around for appearance’s sake until those moves were finalized.
  • However, Douglas “lost most of his authority” after Saleh’s firing, per FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz, with other Jets executives handling negotiations with the Raiders and Reddick, both of which had stalled under Douglas. Since stepping back from his duties, Douglas “had become disenchanted in recent weeks,” per Cimini, “hoping a miracle turnaround might change things.”
  • Bengals senior personnel executive Trey Brown could be a candidate to become the Jets’ next general manager, according to Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post. Brown interviewed for the Raiders’ GM gig during the offseason and turned down a request from the Patriots to interview for the same position. However, Johnson has largely listened to “nonfootball yes men” as the Jets’ owner, with outside criticism driving too much of the team’s direction, per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. Johnson ponied up a six-year, $20MM contract to secure Douglas to lead the front office in 2019, but money will only go so far to lure a would-be general manager who wants to execute his own vision for the franchise’s future.
  • Johnson even suggested benching Rodgers after a 10-9 loss to the Broncos in Week 4, per Zach Rosenblatt and Diana Russini of The Athletic. Douglas and the coaching staff had to convince Johnson to stay the course with Rodgers to avoid embarrassing the mercurial quarterback and upsetting the locker room.
  • Douglas’ next career move could be returning to Baltimore, per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. He began his front office career as a Ravens scout in 2000 and remained in the team’s personnel department until the Bears hired him as director of college scouting in 2015. Douglas still enjoys a solid reputation in Baltimore, and he drafted several excellent young players in New York, including Garrett Wilson, Sauce Gardner, Jermaine Johnson, Breece Hall, and Michael Clemons all in 2022.
  • With their owner cleaning house and questions circling around Rodgers’ future in New York, the Jets’ locker room has “checked out,” according to SNY’s Connor Hughes. “Players aren’t angry or annoyed at their 3-8 record. They’re, as one person described, “just ready for it to be over.”

Injured Reserve Return Tracker

November 19th, 2024 at 6:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

This offseason brought a change in how teams could construct their 53-man rosters while retaining flexibility with injured players. Clubs were permitted to attach return designations to two players (in total) placed on IR or an NFI list before setting their initial rosters.

In prior years, anyone placed on IR before a team set its initial 53-man roster could not be activated in-season. All August 27 IR- or NFI-return designations, however, already count against teams’ regular-season limit of eight. This introduces more strategy for teams, who will be tasked with determining which players injured in-season will factor into activation puzzles as the year progresses.

All players designated for return on August 27 are eligible to be activated beginning in Week 5, though any player placed on IR after a team set its initial 53 has not been designated for return and therefore does not yet count toward a club’s eight-activation limit. Players who receive return designations after Week 5 also appear on this list.

Here is how teams’ activation puzzles look going into Week 12:

Arizona Cardinals

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

Atlanta Falcons

Designated for return from IR (August 27): 

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 4

Baltimore Ravens

Eligible for activation:

Activated: 

Activations remaining: 5

Buffalo Bills

Designated for return from IR (August 27):

Eligible for activation:

Activations remaining: 6

Carolina Panthers

Designated for return:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 3

Chicago Bears

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 4

Cincinnati Bengals

Activated: 

Activations remaining: 5

Cleveland Browns

Reverted to season-ending IR:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 2

Dallas Cowboys

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 7

Denver Broncos

Reverted to season-ending IR:

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated: 

Activations remaining: 3

Detroit Lions

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 6

Green Bay Packers

Eligible for activation:

Activated: 

Activations remaining: 6

Houston Texans

Designated for return from IR (August 27):

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 2

Indianapolis Colts

Designated for return from IR (August 27):

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

Jacksonville Jaguars

Activated: 

Activations remaining: 3

Kansas City Chiefs

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 7

Las Vegas Raiders

Eligible for activation from IR:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 6

Los Angeles Chargers

Designated for return from IR:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

Los Angeles Rams

Designated for return from IR (August 27):

  • OL K.T. Leveston (practice window opened Nov. 20)

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 1

Miami Dolphins

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation from IR:

Eligible for activation from reserve/NFI list:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

Minnesota Vikings

Designated for return from IR (August 27):

Designated for return:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 6

New England Patriots

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

New Orleans Saints

Activated:

Activations remaining: 3

New York Giants

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 6

New York Jets

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

Philadelphia Eagles

Designated for return from IR (August 27):

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

Pittsburgh Steelers

Designated for return from IR (August 27):

  • OL Dylan Cook (released Oct. 31)

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated: 

Activations remaining: 4

San Francisco 49ers

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated: 

Activations remaining: 4

Seattle Seahawks

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 6

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Eligible for activation:

Designated for return:

Activated: 

Activations remaining: 5

Tennessee Titans

Eligible for activation:

Activated: 

Activations remaining: 7

Washington Commanders

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 6

Jets HC Jeff Ulbrich Could Delegate Play-Calling Duties

November 19th, 2024 at 9:49am CST by Adam La Rose

Upon taking over as interim head coach, Jeff Ulbrich has maintained his role as the Jets’ defensive play-caller. That remains the case for the time being, but in the wake of the unit’s struggles he could wind up delegating those duties.

Under Robert Saleh, New York allowed an average of 17 points and 255 yards per game this season. Ulbrich served as the team’s defensive coordinator over that span, but Saleh’s firing added to Ulbrich’s day-to-day responsibilities. The latter has continued to lead the defense during his tenure as interim HC, but in that time the Jets have regressed defensively. The team has surrendered 26.2 points and 346 yards per contest under Ulbrich across the past six games.

“It’s extremely hard to see the unit not perform as well as they’re capable of performing,” Ulbrich said (via Jared Schwartz of the New York Post). “That’s on me and our staff, and on every defensive player in there to regain the standard that we’ve created here in the last couple of years because we’re not playing as well as we need to play and we’re not playing as well as we’re capable of playing. Part of that will be this week and getting back on track.”

Ulbrich made it clear he is not ceding play-calling duties “as of today,” but he added the next few days will include an assessment of where things stand. Delegating would allow the 47-year-old to focus on his other duties during his first career head coaching opportunity. Given the Jets’ 1-5 record since Ulbrich took over, a change may help spark a rebound to close out the campaign.

Schwartz names senior defensive assistant Tony Oden and defensive backs coach Marquand Manuel as options to take on play-calling responsibilities in the event Ulbrich were to give them up. How the team proceeds on that front during its bye week will be interesting to follow. Sunday’s loss leaves the Jets with a record of 3-8, making a postseason berth highly unlikely.

Ulbrich is of course a candidate to land the full-time HC spot for 2025, but the Jets are already looking into options outside the organization. How the team performs after the bye will be key in determining Ulbrich’s future, something which may include a different defensive play-caller being installed soon.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/18/24

November 18th, 2024 at 6:54pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

  • Waived from IR: LB Deion Jennings

Dallas Cowboys

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

New England Patriots

New York Jets

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

MarShawn Lloyd‘s path back to the Packers active roster has taken an unusual turn. The rookie third-round pick landed on IR in September with an ankle injury. He returned to practice last week but suffered appendicitis only a few days later, putting his activation within the 21-day window in doubt.

Worried that Lloyd wouldn’t be ready to play by his early-December activation deadline, the Packers consulted with the NFL about the best route forward (per ESPN’s Rob Demovsky). That ultimately led to today’s transaction, which is only the start of several transactional machinations. As Tom Silverstein of Milwaukee Journal Sentinel notes, Lloyd will temporarily join the active roster before landing on the non-football injury list. That means he won’t count against the team’s roster limit until he’s healthy enough to return to the field.

Lloyd doesn’t have a return timetable from this recent setback. While the rookie entered the year as the hopeful RB2 behind Josh Jacobs, there’s a good chance he’ll also behind Emanuel Wilson for the stretch run of the season.

2025 Jets Return Not Guaranteed For Aaron Rodgers?

November 17th, 2024 at 10:27pm CST by Ely Allen

In recent weeks, 40-year-old veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers has continued to insist that he intends to keep playing next year for the 2025 NFL season, though this insistence has been fairly noncommittal. Even more uncertain appears to be where Rodgers would play next season should he return to the NFL.

There’s a chance Rodgers won’t want to return. According to Connor Hughes of SportsNet New York, “stability is believed to be the deciding factor on Rodgers returning for a third year with the Jets,” and New York has been anything but stable. Head coach Robert Saleh has already been fired, offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett had his play-calling duties revoked, general manager Joe Douglas could find his job in jeopardy, as well, and owner Woody Johnson will go back to his duties as Ambassador to the U.K. after addressing the staff this offseason.

Now, the departure of Saleh and demotion of Hackett aren’t necessarily the indicators of instability that will chase Rodgers; in fact, they may have been a result of Rodgers’ wishes. Stability would really be defined by Douglas and interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich remaining in place after this year. Rodgers has claimed that he would like to play for Ulbrich “until the end,” but as the Jets continue to reap the results of attempting to satisfy Rodgers, he may not have as much pull as he used to.

On the other side, Ulbrich has claimed that he “absolutely” wants Rodgers playing for him next season. That opinion only really matters, though, if Ulbrich is appointed the official head coaching job, striking “interim” off his job title. In the last 10 years, only three of 23 interim coaches have been hired as head coach for the following season. Neither Mike Mularkey nor Doug Marrone lasted long in Tennessee and Jacksonville, respectively, and Antonio Pierce is having a rough first full season in Las Vegas.

If Ulbrich isn’t hired to remain as the skipper, even if Rodgers wants to come back, the Jets may have other plans. With a new regime in place, the Jets may want to move on from a passer that would be turning 42 next season. With no guaranteed money left on the last remaining year of his deal, it would be fairly simple to move on from Rodgers financially.

Replacing Rodgers may not be the easiest thing to make happen, though. Currently, Sam Darnold and Russell Wilson are the only two full-time starters set to hit the free agent market following the season. While both are having resurgent seasons with new teams, Wilson is far-removed from his best seasons, and Darnold has never shown the upside that Rodgers has; not to mention that Darnold may not have the best taste in his mouth left over from his first stint with the Jets.

Other free agents like Justin Fields, Jacoby Brissett, Jameis Winston, and Mac Jones have starting experience and could serve as decent stopgaps, but only Fields has the upside to develop into a decent long-time starter. ESPN’s Rich Cimini notes that potential cap casualties like Derek Carr or Daniel Jones may become available, but they’re potential cuts for a reason.

The Jets would also have the option of taking a rookie passer in the draft. There are two issues with that plan, though. First, there’s no guarantee that the Jets end up in a position to take one of the draft’s top quarterbacks. Second, the 2025 draft class is lacking for top-end talent with only two quarterbacks seemingly solidifying themselves as first-round prospects up to this point.

Regardless, there are so many variables that will lead to the determination of both whether or not Rodgers will play next year and where he will play if he does return. He will be able to control what his deciding factors are, but ultimately, the decision may end up out of his hands.

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