Another offseason of speculation regarding Aaron Rodgers begins.
The New York Jets quarterback ended the 2024 regular season – a disastrous campaign in which the head coach and general manager were dismissed midseason and the team went 5-12 – with a vintage performance, going 23-for-36 passing with 274 yards, four touchdowns and one interception in a 32-20 victory over the Miami Dolphins.
After the game, Rodgers maintained his previous stance that he doesn’t know what his future holds and will take time to come to a decision.
‘I just need some time away to think about my future in the game and my future here, if they want me to be part of the next phase or if they’re ready to move on,’ Rodgers said. ‘Either way, I’m thankful for my two years here.
‘That just comes down to the desire on their side and ultimately my desire, kind of take some time mentally and physically to rest and relax.’
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Asked if he thought he’d be back, Rodgers said he didn’t know and that he wouldn’t say even if he did. He’ll talk with owner Woody Johnson and vice chairman Christopher Johnson in the coming days and weeks.
‘I won’t be upset or offended whatever they decide to do, if they want to move on and I still want to play,’ Rodgers said. ‘If not, I’ll let them know at some point, if that’s the case.’
It’s a similar playbook to the one he followed two offseasons ago, when the Green Bay Packers traded him to the Jets; Rodgers floated retirement at the time.
‘I knew in 2022 my time was done in Green Bay. It felt like it was done, for all of us. It was unsaid maybe on their side. It was understood I think by all of us to go separate ways,’ Rodgers said. ‘I needed to figure out whether I still had the desire to play or not, whether I could get that love back. I have tremendous love for the game now. … This feels much different.’
He added: ‘It’s not great to make emotional decisions.’
One of his touchdown throws went to friend and receiver Davante Adams, who was acquired midseason in an effort to revitalize the stagnant offense and provide Rodgers some comfort (to little avail). Nonetheless, the duo moved into the third place among QB-WR duos on the all-time touchdown list (83). The only pairs with more are Peyton Manning-Marvin Harrison (Indianapolis Colts) and Steve Young-Jerry Rice (San Francisco 49ers).
‘Not worried about that, honestly,’ Rodgers said. ‘I know what I’m capable of. I’m just thankful for guys making plays tonight.’
Rodgers’ first touchdown throw Sunday was his 500th regular-season touchdown pass, and he became the fifth quarterback in NFL history to reach that mark.
‘It was kind of an old-school red zone touchdown like we did in Green Bay,’ he said.
With a new front office and head coach inbound to Florham Park, Rodgers is fully aware that his future in New York could be beyond his control. There are three hypotheticals in play: whether the Jets want to move on, whether retirement is an option and whether he’d want to play for another team.
‘The answer is yes,’ he said.
Rodgers said he addressed the team during the team’s Saturday night meeting and talked about his love of the game and how his perspective changed last September. He stood by his comments that the past two years have been the best of his life because of the relationships he formed with his teammates and those outside of the locker room.
‘Did I regret coming to New York?’ Rodgers said. ‘The answer is of course not.’
In a similar image to two years ago when he departed Lambeau Field for the final time alongside friend and wide receiver Randall Cobb, Rodgers left the MetLife Stadium turf with Adams. Cobb was in attendance Sunday, Rodgers said, adding that he’d wanted to walk off with Adams but didn’t mention it to him.
When he finished his postgame interview with Pam Oliver, Adams was waiting to leave with him.
‘He’s one of my best friends in the world,’ Rodgers said. ‘That was cool.’
One of his main goals entering this season, Rodgers said, was to start all 17 games. He thanked his surgeon who repaired his Achilles, Dr. Neal ElAttrache, and the Jets’ training staff for keeping him healthy.
Rodgers has taken the comedic route regarding his future during his weekly appearances on ESPN’s ‘The Pat McAfee Show.’ In reference to a report in The Athletic that owner Woody Johnson’s teenage sons have influence on personnel decisions, Rodgers said being released by a teenager ‘would be a first.’
On Sunday, there were no extra glances or wistfulness while he was on the field.
‘I’ve got no regrets about anything that went down,’ Rodgers said.
Four plays into his first Jets start last season, Rodgers suffered a season-ending Achilles injury. Rodgers reworked his contract with the Jets to make it a three-year, $112.5 million deal. If the Jets choose to cut him, he would carry a cap hit of $49 million in dead money.
‘It takes concerted and intentional effort to make change. It takes people pulling in the same direction. It takes a top-down focus to create a culture where winning is the standard and not the hope,’ Rodgers said. ‘I put my heart into this. I wanted it really bad. And it didn’t work this year. We came up short. And I played four plays last year. It’s overall disappointing. But the beauty of this game is that every year is a new year.
‘I have a lot of love for this organization. I hope it gets turned around. If I’m back part of it, then I’ll do everything in my power to turn it around.’