When Aaron Rodgers arrived with the New York Jets via trade during the 2023 NFL offseason, they immediately were considered a Super Bowl contender. Two seasons later, the Jets never sniffed a postseason spot, yet they also only got one season out of the future Hall of Fame quarterback after he tore his Achilles in his debut season.
Robert Saleh was fired, and the Jets ended up with a 5-12 record after Rodgers failed to return to elite form in 2024. Now, as the Jets move forward with former Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, will Rodgers be returning for a third season?
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New York Jets don’t want Aaron Rodgers back in 2025
Aaron Rodgers is under contract with the New York Jets in 2025, where he’s set to have a reasonable $23.5 million cap hit. He’s also 41, on a team that finished last in their division.
Most teams wouldn’t bring back such an aging veteran who didn’t play at a Pro Bowl level. According to Fox Sports NFL insider Jay Glazer, Rodgers has already met with the Jets, who informed the veteran QB that they don’t want him back in 2025.
“Aaron Rodgers flew back to New Jersey last week to meet with the Jets about his future with the team, only to be told that the team was moving on from him. If that means that he will be a June 1 designation that allows him to sign with any team in the league on March 12 if he decides to continue to play. Given that Aaron made the effort to fly back to discuss his future, all signs point to him continuing to play. It just won’t be for the Jets.”
Glazer on Aaron Rodgers/Jets
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio contends that the Jets will deem Rodgers as a post-June 1 cap casualty, meaning he’ll become a free agent. In doing so, the Jets will suffer a $14 million dead cap charge in 2025 and another $35 million in 2026.
While the Jets feel it’s best to move forward without the four-time NFL MVP, it doesn’t mean that Rodgers still doesn’t have the itch to play, and plenty of teams urgently need a quarterback upgrade. He could even still wind up back in New York, since the Giants need a new QB too.
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