The New York Jets have informed quarterback Aaron Rodgers he will not return to the team next season, the franchise announced Thursday.
Rodgers was made aware of the decision in a meeting with New York head coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey, both of whom were hired in January.
“Last week we met with [Rodgers] and shared that our intention was to move in a different direction at quarterback,” Glenn and Mougey said in a joint statement. “It was important to have this discussion now to provide clarity and enable each of us the proper time to plan for our respective futures. We want to thank him for the leadership, passion, and dedication he brought to the organization and wish him success moving forward.”
Added owner Woody Johnson: “His arrival in 2023 was met with unbridled excitement and I will forever be grateful that he chose to join us to continue his Hall of Fame career. From day one, he embodied all that it meant to be a New York Jet, embraced our fans, and immersed himself in our city. That is what I will remember most when I look back at his time here.”
The Jets acquired Rodgers in a trade with the Green Bay Packers in 2023. His two seasons with the team were tumultuous at best.
Only four plays into the 2023 season, Rodgers tore his Achilles and missed the rest of the year.
In June 2024, Rodgers was fined by New York for an “unexcused absence” after he skipped a mandatory practice for a planned trip to Egypt.
Early in the 2024 season, Rodgers’s relationship with then-head coach Robert Saleh was the subject of speculation after Rodgers was shown rejecting a hug from his coach on the sideline during a game against the New England Patriots.
The Jets fired Saleh after a 2-3 start to the season, but finished the year 3-9 under interim coach Jeff Ulbrich.
Meanwhile, the 41-year-old Rodgers hardly resembled the MVP-caliber quarterback he was in Green Bay. Excluding his four-play long 2023 campaign, Rodgers posted his worst completion percentage since 2019, his fewest yards per attempt since 2015, and his lowest passer rating as a full-time starter in 2024.
As Rodgers struggled, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported the quarterback was also resisting medical scans from the team’s training staff out of fear of being taken off the field.
In November, Rodgers told ESPN’s Pat McAfee that New York was his “first option” if he returned to play next season.
“As far as my future goes, I haven’t told anybody in my life that I want to play in 2025 and not on the Jets,” Rodgers said.
New York currently owes Rodgers $23.5 million next season. If the Jets were to cut or trade Rodgers after the season, it would cost them $25.5 million against the salary cap. If the quarterback is cut or traded after June 1, New York would gain $9.5 million in cap space.
After the Jets’ final game of the season in January, Rodgers said he would be okay with whatever decision the team made about his future.
“Either way, I won’t be upset or offended whatever they decide to do,” he said.