During an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, quarterback Aaron Rodgers said that while his future is still up in the air for next season, the New York Jets would be the future hall of famer’s “first option” in 2025, according to ESPN’s Rich Cimini.
“I haven’t told anybody in my life that I want to play in 2025 and not on the Jets,” Rodgers said. “I don’t even know if I want to play yet, but New York would be my first option.”
Aaron Rodgers says that he would want to play with the New York Jets in 2025 if he doesn’t retire after this season.
The Athletic had previously reported that Rodgers wanted to play for a different team next season, but Rodgers refuted those claims, saying they were “100% false.”
Through 11 games, Rodgers has completed 63.4% of his passes for 2,442 passing yards, 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions. On top of that, he has been sacked 26 times and has four fumbles.
The Future Is Blurry For Rodgers
Aaron Rodgers has been playing in the NFL for a long time, so he knows what to say to dispel any rumors that might affect his team midseason. For a guy who has had a lot of controversy surrounding him during the 2024-25 campaign, at least he’s saying the right things now.
Regardless of what he says publicly, Rodgers’ choice to make the Jets his top option to play for in 2025 poses an interesting question: why?
Aaron Rodgers’ body language and the New York Jets as a whole both seem desperate for a fresh start. The New York Jets put their head coach, general manager, and – let’s face it – dignity on the line this season to make Aaron Rodgers happy. But, instead of wins, it has blown up in owner Woody Johnson’s face, and the whole football world is laughing at the Jets. Well, at least they’re laughing even more than they usually do.
There is some logic behind Rodgers not wanting to leave New York, but it could be self-motivated (like most things Rodgers has done since being traded from Green Bay). The Jets may be his top choice because he is older and doesn’t want to learn a new system. Then again, it’s possible he wants to right the ship in 2025 and repair the damage that he has done to his legacy this season.
What Should the Jets Do?
If the decision comes down to the New York Jets, then they should move on. They tried their absolute best to make Rodgers as comfortable and happy as possible in New York, and that has only resulted in three wins through 12 weeks.
The Jets need to nail down their GM-head coach-quarterback combination this off-season. There aren’t many times in the NFL when franchises can make those three decisions in the same year. It would be foolish to hire a new GM and head coach just to pair them with a quarterback they may not have any interest in working with or vice versa.
Furthermore, the Jets will likely be looking for a new quarterback in 2026, regardless of 2025’s results. It would make more sense for the team to get a head start on that process and find their franchise quarterback now while they still have a top-ten draft pick rather than play themselves into a mediocre draft position in 2026.
Where Should Rodgers Go?
Aaron Rodgers needs a change of scenery. Several teams could use even this flawed 2024 version of Rodgers. The Tennessee Titans, Las Vegas Raiders and New Orleans Saints could all benefit from having Aaron Rodgers on their team.
The door also hasn’t closed on the Minnesota Vikings. Sam Darnold is only under contract for this season, and rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy was forced to undergo another surgery earlier this month after he experienced swelling in the knee he’s rehabbing. With Darnold likely to get a big contract from a middle-of-the-road team this off-season, the Vikings will need a bridge quarterback at the helm while McCarthy continues to recover. That could be the perfect situation for Rodgers.
This could be a waste of breath, though. At the end of the day, if Rodgers decides to retire, then this was all for naught.
Main Photo Courtesy of Brad Penner – Imagn Images
