Aaron Rodgers’ 2024 season with the New York Jets proved tumultuous, to say the least.
The Jets entered the season with Super Bowl aspirations, buoyed by the return of their 41-year-old quarterback who had torn his Achilles tendon just four plays into his 2023 debut with the team. However, 2024 turned into an unmitigated disaster. Jets owner Woody Johnson fired head coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas in-season and the team stumbled to a 5-12 record.
Reports of discord between Johnson and Rodgers emerged, with allegations that the owner wanted to bench the future Hall of Fame quarterback. With Rodgers’ future uncertain and a $35 million price tag for 2025, his return to the Jets seems increasingly unlikely.
While Rodgers hasn’t committed to playing next season or retiring, one prominent NFL insider has surprisingly identified a current playoff team as his potential future home.
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NFL insider believes Aaron Rodgers could leave New York Jets for this AFC playoff team
During an interview with Jim Gray on the “Let’s Go” podcast, NFL insider Peter King suggested the Pittsburgh Steelers as a possible destination.
“If I were the Pittsburgh Steelers, knowing that I’ve got Cam Heyward, T.J. Watt — I got guys on defense with their expiration dates not long in the future — and I would want to come in and try to get a quarterback who could make me competitive with Baltimore and Cincinnati in 2025. And that guy, to me, would be Aaron Rodgers,” King said.
Aaron Rodgers to the Steelers in 2025? 🤔
— Mad Dog Sports Radio (@MadDogRadio) January 7, 2025
📲 @peter_king with @JimGrayOfficial on this week's "Let's Go!"
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Despite making the playoffs, the Steelers struggled late in the season under Russell Wilson, enduring a four-game losing streak to close out the year. During this stretch, Wilson and the Steelers’ offense failed to score more than 17 points in any game.
“I think we have seen Russell Wilson hit a wall,” King noted.
Justin Fields, who started the season while Wilson was sidelined, posted a 4-2 record in six games. However, head coach Mike Tomlin turned to Wilson once healthy, and the veteran quarterback went 6-1 in his first seven starts before the late-season collapse.
With both Wilson and Fields entering free agency after the season, their returns are uncertain. This quarterback vacancy could make Rodgers an attractive option for the Steelers.
Before any offseason moves, though, the Steelers face the Baltimore Ravens in the Wild Card round of the playoffs on Saturday, Jan. 11.
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