The New York Jets’ brief and unhappy Aaron Rodgers era is over after the team told him they are moving on at quarterback.
Reports had emerged last week the team were parting ways with Rodgers and the Jets confirmed the news on Thursday.
“Last week we met with Aaron and shared that our intention was to move in a different direction at quarterback,” head coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey said in a statement. “It was important to have this discussion now to provide clarity and enable each of us the proper time to plan for our respective futures. We want to thank him for the leadership, passion, and dedication he brought to the organization and wish him success moving forward.”
Rodgers joined the Jets in 2023 with many believing his veteran experience could take a talented young team to the next level. But his campaign ended on the first drive of the first game of the season when he tore his achilles tendon. The 41-year-old returned for 2024 but the Jets slumped to a 5-12 record, fired their head coach, were dogged by reports that owner Woody Johnson’s teenage son Brick had a say in team decisions and missed the playoffs for a 14th successive season. Rodgers’s QBR of 48.1 ranked him 25th among qualified NFL quarterbacks.
In his farewell statement to Rodgers, Johnson said Rodgers “embodied” the Jets, a description that could be read a number of different ways, given the team’s record over the last decade.
“I personally want to thank Aaron for his time at the New York Jets,” Johnson said in a statement. “His arrival in 2023 was met with unbridled excitement and I will forever be grateful that he chose to join us to continue his Hall of Fame career. From day one, he embodied all that it meant to be a New York Jet, embraced our fans, and immersed himself in our city. That is what I will remember most when I look back at his time here. He will always be welcome, and I wish him only the best in whatever he chooses to do next.”
Rodgers’s struggles with the Jets were a stark contrast to his career with the Green Bay Packers, where he won a Super Bowl and built a reputation as one of the most talented quarterbacks in NFL history.
The future is murky for both Rodgers and the Jets. Rodgers is far removed from the quarterback who was once the most feared in the NFL, and he has indicated he may choose to retire. The Jets are left with the 35-year-old Tyrod Taylor as the only quarterback on their roster with any significant experience as a starter. They are unlikely to find a solution with the No 7 pick in this year’s draft, which is not considered a strong class for quarterbacks.
