Jets Sticking With Aaron Rodgers; Woody Johnson Wanted QB Benched On Multiple Occasions?
In the final stage of a wildly disappointing season, the Jets have dropped to 3-9. They have not seen their Aaron Rodgers trade come close to meeting expectations, and the now-41-year-old quarterback is not believed to be in the team’s plans beyond this season.
It would then be understandable if the sides reached a resolution of sorts, as Rodgers has played through injuries separate from his Achilles — an injury that defined his 2023 season — for much of this year. An IR placement or outright benching emerged as a potential solution here, but interim HC Jeff Ulbrich pushed back on that coming out of a bye week. After a loss to the Seahawks, the Jets are not changing course.
Ulbrich announced Monday (via ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini) that Rodgers will remain the team’s starter for its Week 14 game — and for the season’s remainder. Ulbrich was less definitive when asked about his starter following the Jets’ Week 13 loss but returned to form today by indicating Rodgers can still play at a “high level.” The interim boss also indicated Rodgers’ decorated resume is part of the conversation here.
Rodgers said in mid-November he wanted to keep playing beyond 2024, comments in line with his previous New York-era stances, but walked that back last week by noting he was not yet sure. The increasingly outspoken QB also said he wanted to play for Ulbrich in New York again next season, though he stopped short (via Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio) of ruling out playing for another coach in 2025. Considering how poorly the Jets have fared, Ulbrich has next to no chance of returning as their HC. The team has already brought in The33rdteam.com’s Mike Tannenbaum and Rick Spielman to run the upcoming searches, one that will undoubtedly tab outside HC and GM hires.
This is potentially the least amount of leverage Rodgers has held in his NFL career. After being given considerable power upon being traded to New York, Rodgers has not shown much of his MVP-level form. That continued Sunday, when the 20th-year veteran missed a wide-open Garrett Wilson for a score and then threw a pick-six to Leonard Williams on the ensuing play. Likely on his way out after two Jets seasons, Rodgers profiles as a lame duck.
The Jets appear prepared to eat the second-most dead money for a single player in NFL history ($49MM) next year to start fresh. For what it’s worth, Ulbrich attributes (via SNY’s Connor Hughes) much of Rodgers’ struggles this season to the injuries he has sustained. Rodgers has battled hamstring, knee and ankle maladies this season. Though, he was off Gang Green’s injury report in Week 13.
Rodgers’ Achilles tear and spate of nagging issues this season will naturally affect his chances of playing in 2025. Interest may well emerge for a diminished version of the four-time MVP, but a free agency foray is highly unlikely to approach the level of interest Tom Brady did when he hit the market ahead of an age-43 season in 2020. That and maybe Warren Moon‘s 1997 free agency bid (when the former Oilers and Vikings starter joined the Seahawks before his age-41 campaign) are about the only parallels to what a Rodgers FA effort may look like.
As for this season, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler adds Woody Johnson may not have confined his calls for a Rodgers benching to merely the post-Week 4 effort. Johnson making another push for the high-priced passer to be benched for Tyrod Taylor would obviously be notable, as it certainly increases the likelihood Rodgers is off the Jets’ roster next year. It also could point to ownership again intervening at QB late this season.
Although a recent report attempted to pour cold water on the drama between Johnson and Rodgers, the 77-year-old owner has taken considerable heat for impeding former GM Joe Douglas during the final year of his run. Johnson’s outsized role figures to be a key topic when interviews for the Jets’ GM and HC positions begin.
Aaron Rodgers Not Committing To Playing In 2025, Would Like To Stay With Jets
Winding down a disappointing season and likely being set to wrap his tenure with the Jets, Aaron Rodgers backtracked a bit regarding his interest in playing a 21st NFL season. The four-time MVP’s latest Pat McAfee Show appearance produced more hesitancy.
Rodgers had said on multiple occasions he planned to play in 2025, doing so most recently two weeks ago. On Tuesday, he said he does not know if he will play in 2025, but if he does, he would prefer it be with the Jets (via ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini). After firing Robert Saleh and Joe Douglas, the Jets are expected to move on from their two-year quarterback. These conflicting aims will force what could be a difficult resolution in the offseason. As of now, Rodgers remains the Jets’ starter for Week 13.
“These have been two of the best years of my life, as much as it’s been frustrating and difficult, it’s been two really beautiful years,” Rodgers said Tuesday (via Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz). “Playing in New York would obviously be my first choice, if I wanna play.”
Set to turn 41 next week, Rodgers is closing out his 16th NFL season as a starter. Technically, this is Year 17 for the future Hall of Famer as a regular but he obviously saw the 2023 slate end after four plays. Rodgers has battled a few injuries this year as well, to the point a rumor surfaced he had skipped certain medical exams to avoid revealing how seriously he damaged his injured hamstring. Interim HC Jeff Ulbrich said that was “news to me.” The Jets are believed to be considering placing Rodgers on IR or benching him outright to close the season.
As for Rodgers’ current health, he said he “feels great right now.” He said no mandate came for an MRI on his injured hamstring, which has accompanied ankle and knee trouble this season. Regardless of Rodgers’ current health status, it remains likely the Jets will move on from him after this season.
A trade that involved two second-round picks going to the Packers has not worked out for the AFC East franchise, which is moving toward missing the playoffs for a 14th straight season. The Jets rank 27th in both scoring and total offense, and Rodgers has not closely resembled his MVP version. The most recent Trade Rumors Front Office post discussed potential landing spots for Rodgers, who would still stand to generate interest, though it would obviously also be worth wondering how willing a team would be to put up with the drama that follows him if sufficient on-field rewards did not accompany it.
Rumors about Rodgers’ relationship with Woody Johnson have produced conflicting accounts, one painting the owner as having lost confidence in the quarterback and the other indicating the drama was “overblown” and the two had dined together recently. Rodgers said Tuesday (via the New York Daily News’ Antwan Staley) he had actually had dinner with Christopher Johnson, who would serve as acting Jets owner if Woody again left to be President-Elect Donald Trump’s ambassador to the United Kingdom. Indicating he has talked to Christopher more than Woody during his time with the Jets, Rodgers said he had “a lot of love and appreciation and gratitude” for both the Johnsons. Rodgers also confirmed Woody Johnson had landed his plane at Jets practice last week just before firing Douglas, whom Rodgers hoped the team would retain.
Rodgers famously said he was 90% retired after the 2022 season, coming out of a much-discussed darkness retreat with intentions to play for the only team that showed significant interest in him. The Jets acquired Rodgers just before the 2023 draft. While Rodgers’ 2025 plans may not emerge for months, would another team be ready to sign up for a starter run if and when the Jets move on?
Ulbrich: Aaron Rodgers To Remain Jets’ QB1
Rumblings about an imminent Jets divorce with Aaron Rodgers have surfaced in the wake of Joe Douglas‘ firing. An awkward period figures to precede that separation, potentially one that features the quarterback shut down early.
A Saturday report indicated Rodgers was likely to finish the season on IR or on the bench. We do not appear at that point yet. Interim Jets HC Jeff Ulbrich said (via ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini) Rodgers would “absolutely” start against the Seahawks in Week 13.
[RELATED: Rodgers Still Aiming To Play In 2025]
The Jets sit 3-8, leading to Douglas’ firing, and a number of reports have detailed Woody Johnson‘s outsized influence in personnel matters during the GM’s final year in charge. The Rodgers-Johnson relationship, viewed by some to be frosty, may determine how this chapter ends. A Sunday report, however, did describe a fracture between QB and owner as overblown.
Johnson is widely believed to have suggested his then-Robert Saleh-led coaching staff bench Rodgers after he struggled against the Broncos in Week 4. As could be expected, Jets coaches talked the owner out of that audacious effort. Rodgers, 41 next week, has not closely resembled his MVP-level form this season but has also been battling injuries.
The future Hall of Famer has run into ankle, knee and hamstring trouble this season, with the hamstring issue believed to be the most significant. When asked about a report that indicated Rodgers refused medical scans in an effort to keep his injuries’ severity hidden, Ulbrich said that was “news to me.” Ulbrich added Rodgers is feeling healthier now, coming out of New York’s bye week, than he did earlier this season.
Rodgers attempted to make a historically quick return from an Achilles tear last year, resurfacing at practice with an official IR-return designation. Though, he admitted he was not 100% — as could be expected — once he came back to practice. But Rodgers has displayed toughness as a Jet, albeit while failing to turn the team around as many anticipated. QBR places Rodgers 24th this season, reminding of his 2022 form (26th). He has averaged just 6.4 yards per attempt this season; that would be a career-low mark for the 17th-year starter.
The Jets are 1-5 under Ulbrich and 1-4 since acquiring Davante Adams, at Rodgers’ urging. The team ranks 27th in scoring and total offense, while Ulbrich’s leadership has brought a defensive regression as well. Rodgers has nevertheless backed Ulbrich, who had been the Jets’ DC from 2021 until Saleh’s firing. Both are highly likely to be elsewhere in 2025.
Unless the Browns take an unfathomable dead money hit by cutting Deshaun Watson next year, the Jets dropping Rodgers would bring the second-most dead money one player ever has. Only the Broncos’ $83MM-plus Russell Wilson release will come in higher, as it would cost the Jets $49MM — likely to be split up via a post-June 1 designation — to release Rodgers.
If the Jets are to turn away from Rodgers as they both prepare for a fresh start — while potentially aiming to ensure a better chance at a top-five draft choice — they would stand to replace him with Tyrod Taylor, who signed a two-year, $12MM deal with the team this offseason. It is unclear if the team would want a full-on overhaul at the position, but Taylor is tied to a $6MM base salary for 2025. Of that total, $2.5MM is guaranteed.
Aaron Rodgers-Woody Johnson Drama ‘Overblown’
Jets owner Woody Johnson‘s decision to fire head coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas in back-to-back months has painted a picture of a dysfunctional franchise rife with drama in the front office and the locker room.
However, reports of tension between Johnson and Aaron Rodgers are “overblown,” according to FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz, despite a recent bombshell that Johnson suggested benching his star quarterback earlier this season. The two have remained in communication throughout the recent turmoil with both men disappointed in the team’s performance thus far this season.
After losing all of the 2023 season due to an Achilles tear, Rodgers has struggled to stay fully healthy this year, landing on the injury report several times due to issues with his hamstring, knee, and ankle. The mercurial quarterback has still started every game this season, playing 98% of the Jets’ offensive snaps to date.
However, it remains unclear exactly how banged up Rodgers is. He has refused medical scans on his leg injuries to avoid revealing their severity so he can keep playing, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. His September 29 hamstring injury “was believed to be a particularly significant one,” but the 40-year-old insisted that it was not significant and refused to consider taking a game off to recover. A stint on injured reserve has been floated as a way to force Rodgers to heal from his injuries while allowing him to save face publicly.
Rodgers’ injury struggles in New York – which have led to one of the worst statistical seasons of his career – have stirred doubt about his future as a Jet. As recently as November 14, Rodgers has confirmed his desire to play in 2025, though he was noncommittal about returning to the Jets for a third season. He reportedly desires a more stable situation, which has not been applicable to the Jets for several years. However, it is fair to wonder how much Rodgers contributed to the Jets’ instability over the past two years, between the arduous process for his acquisition, his subsequent influence over team personnel decisions, and his struggles to remain healthy.
Most signs are pointing to a mutual parting of ways after this season, with league executives predicting that the Jets will designated Rodgers as a post-June 1 release during the offseason, per CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones. The team’s new head coach and/or general manager may prefer to move on from Rodgers and look for a new quarterback around whom they can rebuild. Rodgers would then be a 41-year-old free agent coming off the worst two-year stretch of his career and may not draw as much interest compared to when he wanted to leave Green Bay.
Aaron Rodgers Benching Or IR Stint ‘Appears Increasingly Likely’
The Jets are expected to move on from Aaron Rodgers ahead of the 2025 campaign. However, there’s a chance the quarterback doesn’t even stick on the active roster through the end of the 2024 season.
[RELATED: Jets Likely To Move On From Aaron Rodgers In 2025]
Dianna Russini of The Athletic writes that the team is considering multiple options regarding Rodgers’ roster status. While no decision has been made, Russini says it “appears increasingly likely” that the quarterback could be benched for the stretch run of the season. The Jets could also help Rodgers save face by placing the veteran on injured reserve. After suffering his season-ending Achilles tear in 2023, the 40-year-old has dealt with hamstring, knee, and ankle injuries this season, so an IR stint wouldn’t be completely unfounded.
There are even some around the NFL who wouldn’t be surprised if the Jets simply cut Rodgers before the end of the 2024 season. The financial implications of such a move would make this route unlikely. In addition to his untenable (albeit prorated) $66MM dead cap hit for 2024, the Jets would also be hit with a $25.5MM charge for the 2025 campaign. If the Jets were to designate Rodgers as a post-June 1 cut, then the front office could actually realize some savings (around $9.5MM of cap relief). While a divorce seems inevitable, there’s really no benefit to the Jets being hasty and moving on now.
The Jets’ disappointing 2024 campaign has naturally led to both sides seeking fresh starts. It also sounds like the broken relationship between Rodgers and owner Woody Johnson may also be playing a role. We heard earlier this week that Johnson suggested benching the franchise star earlier this season, and Russini says the owner has “lost confidence” in Rodgers’ ability to guide the franchise to the postseason. On the other side, Rodgers’ relationship with Johnson has been “strained for months,” and while the quarterback intends to play in 2025, he isn’t enthusiastic about returning to the Jets.
If the Jets do bench Rodgers for the final chunk of games in 2024, then Tyrod Taylor would be the logical fill-in for the organization. What isn’t so clear is who would replace Rodgers in 2025. Russini points to Russell Wilson or a reunion with Sam Darnold, although the reporter is skeptical that either QB will leave their current situation. Russini also notes that Justin Fields, Daniel Jones, and previous target Derek Carr will likely be available, but none of those options provide much hope for contention.
Woody Johnson Nixed Jets Effort To Acquire Jerry Jeudy, Impeded Joe Douglas On Bryce Huff, Haason Reddick
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.
Jets Likely To Move On From Aaron Rodgers In 2025
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
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.”
2025 Jets Return Not Guaranteed For Aaron Rodgers?
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.
Aaron Rodgers Hasn’t Changed Stance On Playing In 2025
The 2024 campaign obviously hasn’t gone as planned for Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets. Considering the frustrations that have mounted during a 3-7 start, there’s been some speculation that the future Hall of Famer might call it a career.
However, the soon-to-be 41-year-old seemed to somewhat commit to a 2025 campaign during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show. When asked if he’ll be back in New York next season, Rodgers said he “think[s] so, yeah” (per ESPN’s Rich Cimini). While the QB gave a less-than-emphatic response, he did acknowledged that this season hasn’t changed his stance on 2025 (per Brian Costello of the New York Post).
Rodgers was also asked about his statement from last offseason that he intends to play “two or three or four more years.” The QB said his stance hasn’t really changed, and he even hinted that he has a stronger desire to continue his career in 2025.
In his return from a lost 2023 campaign, Rodgers hasn’t necessarily looked like his old self this year. His TD% and INT% are among career worsts, and his 6.4 yards per attempt represents his lowest average as a starter. Rodgers told McAfee that he hasn’t come close to reaching his “standards” in 2024, and that could be a motivating factor as he considers playing next season. As Cimini notes, there’s also a natural financial incentive; Rodgers has a $35MM option bonus due this upcoming offseason.
On the flip side, Rodgers has battled hamstring, knee, and ankle injuries this year, and with 2025 representing his age-42 season, Rodgers may prefer to walk away from the game in one piece. Cimini also wonders if Rodgers’ lack of a definitive commitment could be due to the lack of certainty regarding Jets leadership heading into next season. For what it’s worth, Rodgers did give an endorsement to interim HC Jeff Ulbrich.
“I feel like he’s done some really good things,” Rodgers said (via Cimini). “I think Brick is an NFL head coach, whether it’s here moving forward or down the line. I mean, he’s a leader of men and I’ll stand by him. I’d love to play for him until the end. So have a lot of love and respect for him.”
The Jets will surely consider options at both head coach and GM this offseason. However, the biggest factor surrounding their offseason approach could be focused on the status of their veteran quarterback.