It’s very possible the New York Jets will have a new starting quarterback in 2025, as the future of Aaron Rodgers with the team remains in limbo. And, according to one NFL insider, it’s looking like Rodgers will be playing elsewhere next season.
Per FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz, the “overwhelming belief” is that the two sides will indeed part ways, although Schultz adds that “further discussions are expected.”
“Sources: While further discussions are expected, the overwhelming belief is that the Jets are unlikely to move forward with Aaron Rodgers as their quarterback in 2025, sources tell NFL on FOX,” Schultz wrote. “With a new regime in place, many anticipate a fresh start, and a resolution is expected sooner rather than later.”
Earlier in the day, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero revealed that a decision could come as soon as this week.
The Jets and Aaron Rodgers have been in discussions about his future and a decision on whether the four-time NFL MVP returns to New York could come as soon as this week, per sources. New Jets head coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey have great respect for Rodgers, a Super Bowl champion and probable first-ballot Hall of Famer whose two seasons in New York so far have been a mess of injuries and underwhelming results. He’s 41 years old and looked it for much of 2024. But keeping Rodgers would give the Jets’ new regime optionality in free agency and the draft by relieving some of the pressure to find an immediate answer at the most important position. If Rodgers stays, he’d almost surely have to take a pay cut from his scheduled 2025 base salary of $37.5 million. (Several decorated veteran QBs — Peyton Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, Drew Brees — all took pay cuts at the end of their careers.) Rodgers likely also needs to commit to being with the Jets during the offseason program to learn a new system under first-time offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand, something that would benefit all parties.
Parting ways with Rodgers will make things difficult for the Jets for a few reasons. For starters, the Jets don’t have a clear replacement on their roster. Adding to that, cutting or trading Rodgers will leave the Jets with a whopping $49 million dead cap charge in 2025, according to Over the Cap.
But, as Schultz points out, the Jets may simply want to start fresh with a new regime at the helm. New head coach Aaron Glenn has been non-committal on bringing Rodgers back.
“Just a couple of things I want to nip in the bud before I get to the Q&A,” Glenn said at this introductory press conference. “I got the job on Wednesday. Moog [GM Darren Mougey] came and got the job on Saturday. We came here on Sunday and we started talking. Here’s what I do know – Aaron Rodgers will be talked about, it will be talked about. We’ve already texted that communication with Aaron Rodgers. And as we continue to look at the roster, we’ll make decisions accordingly. And that’s with a number of people on the team.”
Rodgers has also been non-committal about his future in New York.
“I think everybody understands that it’s going to come down to a GM and a coach and myself and whether we all want to do a dance together or if it’s not in the cards,” Rodgers said last month.
The Jets would obviously prefer to trade Rodgers, which would soften the blow of losing him and having to deal with a monster dead cap hit. But the veteran signal-caller has a no-trade clause, so that will limit the Jets’ options.
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