The New York Jets announced Thursday that they are moving on from veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers, ending a tumultuous and underwhelming two-year stint at MetLife Stadium.
His departure had become an expected decision, with a new leadership regime having been brought in last month. General manager Darren Mougey and head coach Aaron Glenn replaced Joe Douglas and Robert Saleh, both of whom were fired mid-season as Gang Green sputtered to a disappointing 5-12 finish.
“Last week, we met with Aaron and shared that our intention was to move in a different direction at quarterback,” a joint statement from Mougey and Glenn said. “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.”
After he was acquired from the Green Bay Packers two years ago, Rodgers’ debut campaign with the Jets lasted all of four snaps after going down with a season-ending Achilles injury. The future Hall-of-Famer returned for the entirety of the 2024 season but was unable to capture the same magic that made him a four-time MVP winner — an understandable result given his age and the fact that he was coming off such a severe injury.
In 17 games, he passed for 3,897 yards with 28 touchdowns. He surpassed Matt Ryan and Dan Marino to reach seventh on the NFL’s all-time passing yards list with 62,952 yards. He also became the fifth quarterback in league history to hit the 500 career touchdowns mark, joining Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, and Brett Favre.
“I personally want to thank Aaron for his time at the New York Jets,” owner Woody Johnson said. “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 will become a free agent when he is eventually released, though a date is unknown as of the Jets’ release. The franchise faces $49 million in dead money when they do make the transaction. If they cut him before June 1, they will have to eat all of that in 2025. If they wait, they will carry his $23.5 million cap hit until June 1, and then it drops to $14 million, allowing them to save $9.5 million. However, they would then have to eat a $25 million cap hit in 2026.
With the writing on the wall that his future in New York was murky, Rodgers said he would be open to playing elsewhere in 2026. Meanwhile, the Jets will have a chance to find a new man to lead the offense under center either at the NFL Draft or in free agency — though the available talent on the market does not provide a franchise quarterback to build around for the long term.
