The Aaron Rodgers era in New York has officially come to an end, leaving the four-time MVP to find a new NFL home.
While there had been speculation about Rodgers’ future with the team, reports suggested he had expressed interest in returning for 2025.
According to TheMMQB’s Albert Breer, Rodgers made it clear to Jets leadership that he wasn’t done playing.
“Rodgers did tell Mougey and Glenn that it was his tentative intention to play in 2025. These things can change, of course, but Rodgers gave the Jets the impression that he had unfinished business to take care of,” Breer reported.
Despite his intentions, the Jets’ new leadership under head coach Aaron Glenn opted to move forward without the veteran quarterback, officially cutting ties and setting their sights on rebuilding a brand-new culture from scratch.
Rodgers’ time in New York was filled with drama and controversy.
Rumors surfaced that the Jets had asked him to step away from his weekly appearances on “The Pat McAfee Show” – a request that reportedly factored into their decision to move on.
However, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport disputed that claim.
“From what I am told, there were no ultimatums. I know there was a report that was like ‘Well the Jets don’t want Aaron Rodgers to do the Pat McAfee Show and if he agrees not to we’ll bring him back.’ It wasn’t like that,” Rapoport clarified.
“It was really more like, ‘If you go on there, can you maybe use a little more discretion?’ And they can’t tell him to come to OTAs, that’s not allowed. But it’s like ‘We’d like you to be around more.’”
As Rodgers enters free agency, his options may not be abundant, but teams like the Las Vegas Raiders could be interested, especially with Tom Brady now a part-owner and Pete Carroll taking over as head coach.
If teams judge Rodgers based solely on his recent performance rather than his full career, securing a new opportunity could be challenging.
Having said that, Rodgers was far down on the Jets’ list of problems this season. While his best days are long gone, he proved he can still spin it at an elite level.
Besides the Raiders, potential landing spots for Rodgers include the Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Giants, Minnesota Vikings, Tennessee Titans, and perhaps the Los Angeles Rams should they decide to move on from Matthew Stafford.
Speaking of the Raiders, the face of their franchise – star pass rusher Maxx Crosby – made it clear that he wouldn’t mind one bit if Rodgers were to join the team.
“I wouldn’t be mad,” Crosby said of the possibility.
While Crosby didn’t elaborate further, his response suggests he’s open to the idea of Rodgers under center in Las Vegas. (I mean, why wouldn’t he be?)
While many Raiders fans would love for the team to draft Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, they could find themselves in a situation where they draft a quarterback later in the draft and have him develop under Rodgers.
Of course, many dominos would have to fall into place for that to happen. But it could be a Favre-Rodgers situation in Vegas if things work out perfectly.
What are your thoughts on the idea of the Raiders pursuing Rodgers???
