One NFL star has been reportedly cut from his team just hours before Super Bowl LIX (Image: Getty)
NFL star Aaron Rodgers has reportedly been informed that he has been cut from the New York Jets, just hours before LIX is due to begin.
The 41-year-old, who was traded to the Jets in April 2023, has endured a nightmare spell with the AFC East franchise after leaving the Green Bay Packers.
Rodgers and the Jets struggled this year, ending the regular season with a 5-12 record and missing out on the playoffs. Coach Robert Saleh, who was behind his trade to the Jets, was fired in October and that left the star QB without a valuable ally.
And the Jets have made a brutal decision to inform the experienced quarterback that his services are no longer required, according to FOX Sports.
In a sitdown meeting with Jets officials last week, it is claimed that Rodgers discussed his future with the team – only to be told they were ‘moving on from him’.
If he is a June 1 designation, Rodgers will be free to sign with any team in the league on March 12 on the assumption that he continues with his playing career.
It is widely believed that the veteran star was planning to carry on beyond the 2024-25 season, with the biggest hint being that he flew back to New Jersey for the meeting to discuss his future.
Rodgers now faces a difficult task of finding a new team for the first time in his career at the age of 41 – having spent 17 years with the Packers and another two with the Jets.
Aaron Rodgers has reportedly been axed by the New York Jets (Image: Getty)
Only last week, Tom Brady addressed rumours that suggested Rodgers could join the Las Vegas Raiders as they search for a new passer.
The four-time NFL MVP won’t have any shortage of admirers due to his pedigree at the top of the game, having led the Packers to the Super Bowl in 2011.
But injuries have limited his playing time since joining the Jets, and his first season at MetLife Stadium was cut short after just four plays following a serious Achilles injury.
Rodgers has been unable to shrug off reports suggesting he could announce his retirement during the offseason. And he did little to dispel those claims when discussing his future in January.
Aaron Rodgers threw 28 touchdowns during the 2024 season for the Jets (Image: Getty)
“Honestly, it’s been the best two years of my life, and that’s a perspective adjustment that I think happened at some point during the rehab process last year,” Rodgers said earlier this month.
“Just the excitement, falling back in love with the game, getting to know these guys and the great men and women that work here. It’s been a lot of fun.”
Having missed almost the entire 2023 season through injury, Rodgers finished 2024 campaign with 3,897 passing yards, 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
Once his exit is officially announced, the Jets will be left with only one quarterback with starter experience. Tyrod Taylor, 35, deputised for Rodgers during his recovery from his Achilles injury, suggesting the Jets could look to the NFL Draft for a new star to lead the team.