The New York Jets’ 2024 season is over, but Aaron Rodgers still has plenty to play for.
The 41-year-old future Hall-of-Famer’s future with Gang Green is still anything but secure. However, three weeks ago, it was a foregone conclusion that his brief stint with the team would end upon the Week 18 finale.
Owner Woody Johnson fired head coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas, who likely were two of Rodgers’ largest proponents inside Jets facilities. New leadership, who likely will be keen on rebuilding a team that has not made the playoffs in 14 years, might want to bring in their own quarterback to provide a completely clean slate.
That still might very well be the case, but Rodgers has put together two consecutive strong showings to at least hint that his veteran right arm still has some production left in it.
After throwing for 339 yards and a score in the Jets’ Week 14 loss to the Miami Dolphins, Rodgers went off for 289 yards and three touchdowns last Sunday in a 32-25 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
He and Davante Adams looked like the unstoppable duo of old from their Green Bay Packers days. The 31-year-old wide receiver followed up a 109-yard, one-touchdown showing in Miami with a monster 198-yard, two-score performance in Jacksonville against one of the worst defenses in the league.
Sunday at MetLife Stadium against the Los Angeles Rams ( 1 p.m. ET) provides another favorable matchup. The Rams’ pass defense is ranked 20th in the NFL this season. They were gashed open for 342 yards and three touchdowns by likely MVP winner Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills.
Another strong performance in Week 16 would only build Rodgers’ case to stay in New York for another year, which is what he previously stated that he wanted if he were to play in 2025.
Outside factors only help his case, too. The Jets’ win over the Jaguars bumped their record up to 4-10 and likely took them out of the running for a top-two pick at the 2025 NFL Draft, where the Las Vegas Raiders and New York Giants are expected to take some combination of Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and Miami’s Cam Ward.
A weaker quarterback class after the top two prospects, coupled with an underwhelming free-agent market, might show the Jets’ new leadership that there is nowhere else to go next year than with Rodgers.
