Aaron Rodgers’ stint with the New York Jets has not gone as planned, leaving both the veteran quarterback and the team far from the success they envisioned when he first arrived. After suffering a devastating Achilles injury in one of his first snaps as a Jet, Rodgers’ 2023 season came to an abrupt end, initiating a long rehab process for the 39-year-old quarterback.
Rodgers made his comeback in 2024, and for a brief moment, the Jets looked like contenders in the AFC after a promising 2-1 start. However, the optimism quickly faded as the Jets dropped their last four games, falling to a 2-5 record and dashing early hopes of a playoff push.
Rodgers was brought in to elevate a young Jets squad to playoff or championship contention, but now, questions are swirling about his future in New York. ESPN’s Rich Cimini speculated on his Flight Deck podcast that Rodgers’ time with the Jets could be coming to an end after this season.
“He’s just not playing well, I think his body is beat up,” Cimini said. “If the Jets miss the playoffs, which it certainly appears they will, the Jets will start over next year.”
Cimini clarified that he was speculating based on what he’s observed this season, but his comments have ignited a debate among fans about whether Rodgers will return for another year or if his time with the Jets will be cut short.
Fans on social media were quick to react, with some already preparing for the possibility of moving on from the four-time MVP.
“I don’t mean this in a disrespectful way at all, but why would we want him back next year? He will be 42 years old next season,” one fan commented, voicing concerns about Rodgers’ age and durability.
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Others turned their attention to the future of the quarterback position for the Jets. “Will enjoy watching rubes argue about whether to draft Carson Beck or Quinn Ewers,” another fan quipped, already thinking about potential draft options to replace Rodgers.
Some fans highlighted the dilemma the Jets face if Rodgers doesn’t clarify his intentions before the draft. “Bigger question no one is asking: What do the Jets do at QB? If Rodgers does not say he’s done prior to the upcoming draft, Jets can’t go QB with their 1st round pick,” one fan pointed out, stressing the difficulty of planning for the future with uncertainty surrounding Rodgers’ status.
Others were more blunt in their criticism of the Jets’ decision to bring Rodgers in. “They blew a pick and went for the shortcut. Back to the drawing board, square one,” one fan lamented, seemingly ready to move on from the Rodgers experiment altogether.
However, some fans still see hope in a succession plan. “They have Jordan Travis… I’d absolutely love to see him learn behind Rodgers and take the reins,” one fan suggested, referencing a strategy similar to what the Packers did with Jordan Love, developing a young quarterback under Rodgers’ mentorship.
Despite the speculation, Rodgers and the Jets still have time to turn things around this season. However, with the team mired in a four-game losing streak and facing stiff competition in a highly competitive AFC, their path to ending the league’s longest active playoff drought won’t be easy.
Rodgers was expected to be the missing piece for a young, talented team hungry for postseason success, but with age, injury concerns, and inconsistent performance all playing a factor, the Jets will have to navigate a difficult decision about their future at quarterback if they fail to make the playoffs again.
Whether or not Rodgers remains part of those plans is now a topic of heated debate among fans and analysts alike.
