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Abdul Carter Has Stress Reaction In Foot, Will Not Undergo Surgery

February 27th, 2025 at 8:25am CST by Ben Levine

FEBRUARY 27: Further testing has revealed that surgery is not advised, Schefter notes in an update. As a result, Carter will indeed work out at his Pro Day in advance of hearing his name called early on Day 1 of the draft.

FEBRUARY 26: Abdul Carter won’t participate at this week’s NFL Scouting Combine, and it was assumed the blue-chip prospect was simply saving his energy for Penn State’s Pro Day. Instead, the projected first-overall pick may skip all workouts as he deals with a foot injury that could require surgery.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Carter underwent tests today that revealed a stress reaction in his right foot. The prospect is considering “pre-emptive surgery” that would result in a screw being inserted in the foot. That route would require about eight weeks of recovery, which at the very least would put Carter’s availability for the start of rookie minicamp in doubt.

Alternatively, Carter could skip the surgery. Schefter hints that the edge rusher could still participate at Penn State’s Pro Day later this week and “prove to NFL teams that he doesn’t need [surgery].” Carter, his family, and his agents consulted with doctors today to “gather more information,” and there’s an expectation that the player’s camp will make a decision later this week (per Schefter).

“There are mixed opinions on whether he needs surgery, and we will figure that out in the near future,” Carter’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, told Schefter.

Carter already entered the pre-draft process with an injury, as the defending Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year was nursing a shoulder injury he suffered in Penn State’s playoff game versus Boise State. Carter recently stated that he’s back to around 90 percent health, and Rosenhaus recently sent a memo to NFL teams stating that the player has been cleared to resume training.

Even with the growing list of injury concerns, Carter isn’t expected to see a hit to his draft stock. Along with Travis Hunter, Carter was considered one of the draft’s two elite prospects, and teams will gamble on the pass-rushing upside despite any injury concerns. Rosenhaus said as much when speaking with reporters.

“Either way, worst case scnario, we don’t expect this to impact where he is drafted,” Rosenhaus said. “After visiting with teams this week, I believe he’s going to be the No. 1 overall pick. “

Titans Grant OLB Harold Landry Permission To Seek Trade

February 26th, 2025 at 8:12am CST by Sam Robinson

Making a successful comeback after an ACL tear kept him off the field in 2022, Harold Landry is suddenly at a career crossroads. The quality edge rusher has resumed his career as a dependable pass rusher, doing so while on back-to-back struggling Titans teams.

With two years remaining on what was viewed as a team-friendly contract at the time of signing (2022), Landry has joined Cooper Kupp, Deebo Samuel and Jonathan Allen in being given permission to shop around. The Titans are granting Landry permission to find a trade partner, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reports.

The Titans finished 3-14 last season, down from 6-11 in Mike Vrabel‘s finale. They have squandered some quality Landry efforts, as he has racked up 19.5 sacks since returning from ACL rehab. Landry has not missed a game over that span, putting to rest much of the concern about being recovered from the injury.

Two seasons remain on Landry’s four-year, $87.5MM extension — one signed just before free agency in 2022. He is due a $17.5MM base salary in 2025. The Titans have paid out the guarantees on their top edge rusher’s contract. Tennessee has relied on Landry to anchor its edge-rushing corps throughout his career, having been unsuccessful in landing a complementary piece for much of that period. Additions like Bud Dupree and Jadeveon Clowney did not pan out. Arden Key is currently in that spot; one season remains on his three-year contract.

Going into his eighth season, Landry is 28. He would stand to generate trade interest for a Titans team squarely in rebuild mode after firing a GM (Ran Carthon) for the second time since December 2022. Both the HC and GM who drafted Landry and were in place when he signed his extension are gone. As Josh Sweat leads the way in terms of free agent edges available (all due respect to 34-year-old Khalil Mack), teams seeking help at this premium position can now target Landry in a swap. The Landry news also comes as the Chargers face an uncertain future with Joey Bosa.

Edge rusher fireworks continue this offseason, one that has already included Myles Garrett requesting a trade out of Cleveland. (The Browns are not planning to honor that request.) Joe Burrow also continues to push the Bengals to extend Trey Hendrickson, who joins T.J. Watt and Micah Parsons in a contract year. While Landry has not proven to be in that class, he is not too far off. The 2018 second-round pick produced a career-high 12 sacks in 2021 — before adding 1.5 in a Titans divisional-round loss to the Super Bowl-bound Bengals.

The Boston College product has also proven reliable, even as the Titans have crumbled around him. As Tennessee has struggled to keep key players healthy and to find a post-Ryan Tannehill QB solution, Landry has maintained his form. A team acquiring Landry would have two years of control left as well, though the prospect of an updated contract will undoubtedly come up. Landry is now the NFL’s 16th-highest-paid edge defender.

If the Titans and Landry can find a trade partner, connections to Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter stand to heat up. Carter will be a player the Titans consider at No. 1 overall, despite the organization not seeing Will Levis fill its QB need. While Travis Hunter will be in that mix as well, Tennessee has also been closely tied to trading down. Teams have reached out about the top pick already. Landry would add notable draft capital if moved, as the Titans attempt a rebuild under new GM Mike Borgonzi.

Rams Give QB Matthew Stafford Permission To Speak With Other Teams

February 22nd, 2025 at 10:45pm CST by Ely Allen

We’ve seen some interesting developments in the past couple of months concerning the future of Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford in Los Angeles. Today’s newest update comes from Ian Rapoport of NFL Network who tells us that the team has given Stafford’s agent permission to speak with other teams about his value. Rapoport makes it clear that this is not a trade request, just an external appraisal.

Following the end of the Rams’ 2024 campaign, Stafford began to contemplate his future in the league, potentially weighing the possibility of retirement before ultimately making the decision to play in 2025, after some pressure for clarity from the team. As the team was waiting for that clarity, though, the Rams made it known that they were considering trading the veteran quarterback. This rumor led to interest from several teams who began to contact Los Angeles with interest in Stafford.

With today’s update, we see that the Rams have been hearing these offers and are hoping to use them to assist in their contract negotiations. Our previous most recent update hinted that the 37-year-old was seeking a raise on his next deal. This new tactic from the Rams could be seen as an attempt to let the rest of the league do their work for them. This would be similar to what the Ravens attempted last year, when they placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on Lamar Jackson, and most teams expected them to match any offer sheet after letting other teams determine Jackson’s worth.

This is a less official version of this. This is closer to the MLB’s arbitration process, in which the team and player can’t come to an agreement on a player’s value, so they use a third-party arbiter to make the determination for them. As the Rams and Stafford struggle to find level ground in contract discussions, the hope is that outside teams will participate and give their two cents on what Stafford’s next contract should look like.

More likely, teams, if they don’t really believe they have a chance to land Stafford in a trade, could try to inflate the cost of a Stafford deal in order to handicap the Rams as much as possible. This possibility is underlined by a report from Rapoport’s colleague Mike Garafolo, who tells us that these other teams don’t believe this means the Rams and Stafford are headed for a split and that trade compensation will remain a hurdle to them actually acquiring the passer.

Another hurdle to acquiring Stafford via trade is the $45.3MM in dead money trading Stafford’s contract would cost the Rams, according to Jason Fitzgerald of OvertheCap.com. Still, Fitzgerald believes that the Rams would be willing to deal Stafford for a return they deem worthy, but if that adequate trade offer doesn’t come, they would work with the veteran on a modified contract.

Saints Hire Brandon Staley As DC

February 21st, 2025 at 10:39pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Saints are hiring former Chargers head coach Brandon Staley as their next defensive coordinator, per Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero, and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network.

Staley has been a top candidate for the Saints’ DC gig ever since Kellen Moore was hired as head coach. Moore was the Chargers’ offensive coordinator in 2023, Staley’s last season as head coach. Staley was fired before the end of the regular season and spent 2024 as an assistant head coach with the 49ers. He interviewed with the Saints last weekend and emerged as the favorite for the job, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

2025 will be Staley’s ninth season coaching in the NFL. He began his career at the college level before moving to the pros as an outside linebackers coach under Vic Fangio in Chicago (2017-2018) and Denver (2019). Staley was then hired by the Rams in 2020 as defensive coordinator. His defense finished first in total points and yards allowed, which helped him land the Chargers’ head-coaching gig after just one year as a coordinator.

Staley led the Chargers to a 9-8 record in his debut season with a top-five offense under second-year quarterback Justin Herbert. A 10-7 record in 2022 was enough for a playoff berth as a wild card, though the Chargers lost to the Jaguars in the first round. 2023 saw significant regression on both sides of the ball, leading to Staley’s firing after a 5-9 start. Of particular concern was the Chargers’ defensive struggles during his tenure; the team never finished higher than 20th in points or yards allowed across his three seasons.

Staley’s history with Fangio likely helped him land the job in New Orleans. Fangio is currently the Eagles’ defensive coordinator and worked with Moore in Philadelphia last season. The two led elite units on either side of the ball to a 14-3 record in the regular season and a victory in Super Bowl LIX. Staley will likely install a scheme similar to Fangio’s in New Orleans in an effort to turn around a Saints defense that allowed the third-most yards in the NFL in 2024.

The Saints may face criticism for their hiring process. Their other two candidates, Daronte Jones and Christian Parker, are both minorities. Given Staley’s early status as a frontrunner for the job, the Saints’ meetings with Jones and Parker could be seen as sham interviews that were only conducted so the team could comply with the NFL’s Rooney Rule.

New Orleans also considered some college coaches for their defensive coordinator vacancy, including Colorado DC Robert Livingston, per Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football. Here is a final update on their search:

Jaguars Hire James Gladstone As GM

February 21st, 2025 at 10:08pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Jaguars are hiring Rams director of scouting strategy James Gladstone as their next general manager, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

The team confirmed the hire via social media, and Jaguars owner Shad Khan released a statement (via NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport) calling Gladstone “exceptional in every regard.” Gladstone will reunite with Liam Coen, a Rams assistant from 2018-20 and their OC in 2022. Although Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham was viewed as the frontrunner, it certainly makes sense Coen would want a former coworker to start fresh with him in Jacksonville.

Gladstone will become the youngest general manager in the league at 34 years old. He was previously a high school coach in St. Louis before being hired by Rams general manager Les Snead. Gladstone has spent the last eight years in Los Angeles including the last four as director of scouting strategy. Gladstone will become a GM four years after former Rams staffer Brad Holmes took over in Detroit. Holmes’ Lions success surely did not hurt Gladstone’s chances, though Coen’s status in Jacksonville probably played a bigger role here.

The Rams consistently hit on their draft picks in Gladstone’s tenure despite trading away most of their first-round picks. He will hope to bring that success to Jacksonville, which had an inconsistent drafting record under Trent Baalke. The Jaguars currently hold the fifth overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft, giving Gladstone a chance to add an elite prospect with his first pick as GM.

Snead may look to an internal promotion to replace Gladstone in Los Angeles. Candidates could include director of data and analytics Jake Temme and scouting strategist Nicole Blake, per Jordan Rodrigue of The Athletic.

Gladstone was not considered a frontrunner for the Jaguars’ GM job when the team first requested to interview him, partially because he was not considered for any of the other vacancies this hiring cycle. He impressed team decision-makers enough in his first interview to earn a second, solidifying him as a finalist for the job in Jacksonville. Now, he will team up with Coen in an effort to rebuild the team after a 4-13 showing in 2024.

The Jaguars’ GM vacancy was the last to be filled of this year’s hiring cycle, so Gladstone will have to move quickly to prepare the roster for free agency. Jacksonville currently has just under $40MM in cap space, but could create another $35MM of room by moving on from Christian Kirk, Evan Engram, and Josh Reynolds. Reynolds made just one catch in 2024 and won’t be worth his $4.26MM cap hit next season. Kirk and Engram both played well in 2022 and 2023, but experienced a downtick in production last year before going down with season-ending injuries. They represent the team’s two biggest cap hits in 2025, so the new regime may prefer to cut ties rather than extend players they didn’t originally sign.

Gladstone beat out a number of veteran executives for the GM role in Jacksonville in what Khan called “a painstaking but energizing interview process.” Below is a full list of their candidates:

Cowboys G Zack Martin Plans To Retire

February 20th, 2025 at 10:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

One of the greatest interior offensive line careers is set to end. Zack Martin will follow through on retirement, informing the Cowboys he plans to walk away after 11 seasons, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports.

The decorated blocker played out a six-year extension, one adjusted after a 2023 holdout, and was set to hit free agency for the first time. Barring a course change, Martin will pass on testing the market ahead of an age-35 season. This will both strip another O-line constant from Dallas’ roster and tag the team with significant dead money.

Tabbing Martin as a key piece on an offensive line featuring fellow first-rounders Tyron Smith and Travis Frederick, the Cowboys saw him become one of the greatest players in franchise history. He earned seven first-team All-Pro honors and received nine Pro Bowl invites, placing the Notre Dame alum among the very best in NFL history for any O-line position. He was a vital piece for the Cowboys during their Tony Romo– and Dak Prescott-centered periods.

Martin signed a six-year, $84MM contract in 2018, giving the Cowboys seven years of control. As that contract term waned, Martin successfully secured the final two years guaranteed. The Cowboys caved during their top lineman’s 2023 holdout, giving him $36.85MM guaranteed. That covered the 2023 and ’24 seasons. As a result of Martin’s retirement, the Cowboys will be hit with $26.46MM in dead money.

The Cowboys were able to avoid a void years-driven cap crunch with Prescott, giving him a record-smashing extension hours before their Week 1 game. Martin’s money was set to void had he not re-signed with the team before the start of the 2025 league year. This retirement will not help, as it still represents a departure. Although the many restructures the Cowboys performed with Martin’s contract will put them in a bit of a bind thanks to this exit, he rewarded the team for over a decade. Few clubs had comparable options during Martin’s tenure.

Martin’s seven first-team All-Pro nods match Hall of Famers John Hannah and Randall McDaniel for most in NFL history among guards. Among guards to begin their careers in the 21st century, the former Fighting Irish tackle is two above anyone else in this area. Only four offensive linemen (Jim Otto, Ron Mix, Anthony Munoz, Jim Parker) are ahead of Martin in terms of first-team All-Pro placements. Of that quartet, only Munoz began his career after the 1970 merger. One of the most distinguished players on the 2010s’ All-Decade team, Martin will be a safe bet to book a Canton invite in 2030.

Last season, Martin landed on IR due to an ankle injury. The seven missed games matched the most of his career. The only seasons that did not end with a first- or second-team Martin All-Pro distinction involved season-ending injuries (2020, ’24). Beyond that, the Cowboys could bank on him elevating their offense. One of the Jerry Jones–Will McClay era’s top finds, the former No. 16 overall pick helped the Cowboys to six playoff berths. Dallas also accomplished a historically rare feat by seeing DeMarco Murray and Ezekiel Elliott win rushing titles three years apart, with Elliott adding a second crown in 2018 as well. Tony Pollard and Rico Dowdle also produced 1,000-yard rushing seasons during Martin’s career, though the latter effort came partially while he was down with injury.

Last summer, Martin floated the possibility 2024 would be his last season. Although a rumor circulated earlier this month Martin was waiting for his injured ankle to heal before making a final decision, he will pass on testing the market. While Martin did quite well for himself ($111.6MM in career earnings), he joins Smith in seeing a lengthy contract prevent him from maximizing his value. Excepting Prescott and CeeDee Lamb, the Cowboys had done well to tie their standout performers to five- and six-year deals; Smith’s lasted eight years. But Martin is the last of the Cowboys’ Romo- and Prescott-era core blockers to depart. Frederick retired after the 2019 season, while Smith joined the Jets in free agency last year.

Dallas has identified another guard standout, installing Tyler Smith there after initially having planned for him to succeed Tyron Smith at LT. The team, which struggled to replace the elder Smith and center Tyler Biadasz last year, now must replace the most decorated O-lineman in its history.

Saints To Hire Doug Nussmeier As OC

February 20th, 2025 at 10:02pm CST by Adam La Rose

Doug Nussmeier is indeed set to continue working with Kellen Moore in 2025. The Saints are hiring Nussmeier as their offensive coordinator, as first reported by Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football.

Earlier this week, it became clear Moore and the Saints were aiming to hire Nussmeier. The two will continue working together in New Orleans as Moore takes on his first career head coaching gig. The Eagles, of course, have already filled their OC vacancy.

Especially after Mike McCarthy was out of the running for the Saints’ head coaching gig, Moore became the top name to watch. New Orleans arranged to speak with him after the Super Bowl, and at that point Nussmeier’s name was mentioned as a strong contender to join Moore in New Orleans. The two have worked alongside each other with the Cowboys, Chargers and Eagles (Moore’s previous OC destinations) and that will continue next season.

Nussmeier’s coaching career dates back to 2001, and on five occasions he operated as an offensive coordinator at the college level. This will be the 54-year-old’s first OC opportunity in the NFL, albeit with a familiar face alongside him. Moore has already confirmed, to no surprise, that he will call plays as head coach.

The Saints’ offense features a number of questions at the moment, and the future of quarterback Derek Carr is uncertain as things stand. Even if the veteran remains in place for 2025, strong play up front will be needed in addition to increased efficiency through the air. During Klint Kubiak‘s one-and-done campaign at the helm, New Orleans ranked 23rd in passing yards. A healthy season from Carr (presuming he is not cut or traded) will help in that department, but in any event Nussmeier’s background as a quarterbacks coach will make him a key figure on Moore’s staff for whichever passer the team uses in 2025.

Other moves have been made in recent days as part of Moore’s efforts to quickly build a staff after taking on head coaching duties in the wake of the Eagles’ Super Bowl win. The Saints’ defensive coordinator position has not been filled yet, but attention can now turn in that direction with Nussmeier in the fold.

Eagles Promote Kevin Patullo To OC

February 19th, 2025 at 9:42pm CST by Sam Robinson

As the Saints showed interest in multiple Eagles staffers for Kellen Moore‘s new OC, Philadelphia will protect one via promotion. Kevin Patullo will replace Moore as OC, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo reports. The Super Bowl champions have since announced the move.

A true Eagles OC search does not look to have transpired, pointing to the team’s confidence in Patullo. While the Eagles’ last internal promotion at OC (replacing Shane Steichen with Brian Johnson) failed, Patullo — rumored as a Saints OC option early in that search — will be called upon to step in for Moore.

One of Nick Sirianni‘s hires when he arrived in Philly in 2021, Patullo has been the team’s pass-game coordinator for four seasons. Although he did not leapfrog Johnson to become OC once Steichen took the Colts’ HC job in 2023, he will make the move up after an Eagles job search that never appeared to take shape. Patullo also came up during the Jets and Ravens’ OC searches in 2023 but was not on the carousel in 2024, as a collapse defined the Eagles’ 2023 season.

The Eagles needed to have conducted an interview with at least one external minority to comply with the Rooney Rule, but they are not the only NFC power to move quickly on a candidate without having performed a thorough search. The Lions hired John Morton soon after losing Ben Johnson. Patullo will replace Moore, who rebuilt his stock after a down Chargers season. While Moore will walk into a Saints situation that features plenty of questions, Patullo will take the keys to an offense that just stampeded past the Chiefs to win Super Bowl LIX.

Philly is expected to lose QBs coach Doug Nussmeier to the Saints, as Moore’s new OC, but they will not see both offensive staffers leave. Nussmeier also has much closer ties to Moore than the team, having worked with the ex-Cowboys QB in Dallas and Los Angeles. Patullo, 43, has come up through the coaching ranks under Sirianni and Frank Reich.

Reich hired Patullo as his wide receivers coach to start his Colts tenure in 2018, and he held that role for two years before transitioning to a pass-game specialist in 2020. Sirianni brought Patullo with him to Philly in 2021, immediately installing him as pass-game coordinator. Patullo worked under Steichen for two years, as the Eagles transitioned to a run-oriented attack midway through the 2021 season before seeing Jalen Hurts display tremendous growth as a passer during an MVP-caliber 2022 season. After the Eagles took a step back in 2023, Moore, Patullo and Co. retooled the offense once again this past season.

The Eagles did not ask Hurts to operate as a passer on the level he had in 2022 and ’23, with the Saquon Barkley signing transforming Philly’s ground attack. The team ran roughshod over the Commanders in the NFC championship game, and although the Chiefs did well to minimize Barkley, the Eagles received a sharp game from Hurts in an MVP performance that included TD passes to A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith and a Super Bowl QB record 72 rushing yards.

Despite the Eagles’ step back under Johnson in 2023, the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane indicates the team wanted continuity for Hurts, who has trained in four offensive schemes over his first five seasons. Also transferring in college, Hurts has seen significant change on his coaching staffs in that span. Sirianni had Patullo pegged as his preferred Moore successor once he found out the Saints hire was imminent, McLane adds, lending to the non-search here.

The 2025 season will mark Patullo’s first crack as a play-caller at any level, but McLane adds he was involved with that process under Moore. Still, this will be a notable storyline to follow in Philadelphia, as Moore carried five seasons of play-calling experience into last season. Sirianni gave up play-calling duties midway through the ’21 season and will not be expected to reclaim them, as this formula has now produced two Eagles Super Bowl berths and a runaway title.

Beyond the Patullo move, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero adds the Eagles are planning to hire Parks Frazier to fill Patullo’s old job. Philly’s new pass-game coordinator is best known for the half-season he spent as Jeff Saturday‘s Colts play-caller, as others turning the job down led to Indianapolis’ assistant QBs coach to take the role. Frazier, 33, worked for the 2-15 Panthers in 2023 (as pass-game coordinator) as for the Dolphins as an offensive assistant last season.

While Frazier will step back into a prominent role, the Eagles have ensured continuity under Sirianni in the form of Patullo moving up and acclaimed O-line coach Jeff Stoutland remaining in place as run-game coordinator. Frazier worked with Sirianni under Reich for three seasons in Indianapolis, though he topped out on the quality control level during that time.

Bengals “Likely” To Hit Tee Higgins With Franchise Tag

February 17th, 2025 at 9:43pm CST by Ben Levine

Tee Higgins is generally considered the top offensive free agent, but the Bengals WR might not even make it to the open market. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (via NFL.com’s Bobby Kownack), the Bengals are considered “likely” to hit Higgins with the franchise tag if the two sides can’t work out a long-term deal.

According to Pelissero, the Bengals front office is currently focused on signing the star wideout to a long-term pact, and there’s “hope” they won’t have to opt for the franchise tag for the second-straight year. If the organization does ultimately turn to the tag, they’ll effectively be committing to Higgins for yet another season (barring a trade), and they’d still have until the middle of July to work out an extension with the receiver.

The former second-round pick saw his rookie contract expire last offseason, but the Bengals held on to Higgins via the franchise tag. A second-straight franchise tag would be valued at 120% of Higgins’ 2024 earnings, which would come in at $26.2MM. The Bengals would presumably hope that number is a placeholder as they pursue a long-term deal, but it could also represent a slight discount as Higgins pursues a deal worth more than $30MM per year.

Joe Burrow has made it clear that he wants the Bengals to retain one of his top targets, but the organization’s upcoming financial commitments would make a Higgins deal difficult to navigate. Burrow himself is playing on a once-record-breaking extension, and the Bengals have yet to work out a long-term deal with fellow WR Ja’Marr Chase. The organization could theoretically commit a significant chunk of their cap to their three offensive stars, but there’s also a chance the team will just be keeping the trio together for one last run.

The 2024 campaign was one of Higgins’ most productive showings of his career, as he compiled 911 receiving yards and a career-high 10 touchdowns in just 12 games. His recent injury woes only slightly clouded his free agency outlook, as the WR was still expected to have plenty of suitors this offseason. If Higgins is ultimately slapped with the franchise tag, it will bode well for the rest of the free agent class, a group that includes veterans coming off injuries (like Chris Godwin and Stefon Diggs) and veterans who underwhelmed in new spots (like DeAndre Hopkins and Amari Cooper).

Jets To Move On From Aaron Rodgers

February 13th, 2025 at 10:12am CST by Adam La Rose

FEBRUARY 13: The Jets have announced that Rodgers will not return in 2025. A parting of ways with Adams can also be expected, but at a minimum it is now confirmed that team will have new starter under center next season. How strong of a market Rodgers generates – if he continues playing – will become a interesting storyline in advance of free agency.

FEBRUARY 9: As most anticipated, the Jets appear ready to move on from quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Per FOX Sports’ Jay Glazer, the 41-year-old passer flew to New Jersey last week to talk with the club, only to be told that Gang Green will be parting ways with him.

In the wake of the Jets’ decision to fire head coach Robert Saleh and then general manager Joe Douglas midway through the campaign, it became clear a parting of ways was likely in this situation. Uncertainty loomed as a new regime was brought in, but the organization will indeed start over at the quarterback spot in 2025. Rodgers’ New York tenure will thus end after only two years.

The longtime Packers star had a rocky end to his tenure in Green Bay, with the Jets emerging as a destination he was interested in as part of his efforts to continue his career. A deal was ultimately worked out – with New York sending a package consisting of a pair of second-round picks in addition to the teams swapping Day 1 selections in 2023 – and expectations were therefore high for the Jets to find short-term stability under center. Rodgers’ debut campaign ended after only four snaps, though, with an Achilles tear leaving him sidelined the rest of the way.

Douglas, Saleh and former offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett received a mulligan from ownership this past offseason, and Rodgers did manage to play all 17 games in 2024. Still, the team fell well short of expectations and wound up outside the postseason. Retirement is still under consideration in Rodgers’ case, but in any event the Jets will move on. Remaining together was something new head coach Aaron Glenn was open to, but he and first-time general manager Darren Mougey stopped short of making a commitment one way or another when speaking about the team’s QB setup for 2025.

Earlier on Sunday, Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (the latter of whom has since confirmed the expectation is that the Jets and Rodgers will part ways) reported a decision on this front was likely this coming week. A formal announcement should thus be expected shortly, but nevertheless the Jets will now turn their attention to finding a new short- and/or long-term QB solution. The failure of the Sam Darnold and Zach Wilson selections drove the Rodgers acquisition, and it will be interesting to see if the draft is again pursued this April or if the new regime will take a different route.

Glazer’s colleague Jordan Schultz – who also reported on Sunday a Rodgers split was likely – adds this move was influenced more by the nature of his contract than his up-and-down level of play this past season. The four-time MVP is due $37.5MM in 2025, with none of his base salary guaranteed. Teams which view Rodgers as a viable option could look to swing a trade at a reduced price, but it would come as no surprise if the Jets proceeded with a release. Doing so with a post-June 1 designation will be required to avoid incurring a massive dead cap charge.

Tyrod Taylor is under contract for next year at a reasonable cap hit of $6.8MM, and he would welcome the chance to again operate as a starter. New York will be in the market for another passer this offseason, though, and ESPN’s Rich Cimini names Kirk Cousins as a potential option. The Falcons are likely to move on from Cousins, who is familiar to new front office exec Rick Speilman given their time together in Minnesota. In any case, how the Mougey-Glenn pairing operates at the quarterback spot will be critical moving forward.

Rodgers and Davante Adams reunited with the Jets ahead of the 2024 trade deadline, but the latter’s future was clouded by uncertainty based on the former’s tenuous hold on a New York roster spot for next season. Now that Rodgers is known to be on the way out, it would come as no surprise if Adams were to change teams once again; a return to the west coast could be in order. Another Rodgers-Adams pairing could be in store, but only if Rodgers elects to continue playing. If that proves to be the case, he will need to suit up for a third NFL team in the closing chapter of his decorated career.

Rory Parks contributed to this post. 

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