Despite the New York Jets’ struggles in 2024, Aaron Rodgers implied Wednesday he was planning on returning to play next season.
“I think so, yeah,” Rodgers said when asked.
Rodgers, who turns 41 on Dec. 2, said the Jets’ disappointing season hasn’t changed his thought process for the future.
“Not really, not for the negative no,” he said.
As he recovered from a torn Achilles tendon, Rodgers said in March he hoped to play “two, three or four more years.” But a 2024 season that began with playoff aspirations hasn’t gone as planned. The Jets fired coach Robert Saleh after five games, and enter Week 11’s matchup with the Indianapolis Colts losers of six of seven. At 3-7, New York has a 6 percent chance of making the playoffs, per The Athletic’s Austin Mock.
Aaron Rodgers says that this season has not changed his opinion on playing in 2025 and that he still thinks he wants to play next year: pic.twitter.com/1OldVNuvW9
— Jets Videos (@snyjets) November 13, 2024
Rodgers has posted a career-low in quarterback rating (86.8) and has yet to throw for 300 yards in a game — something he hasn’t done since December 2021. As a whole, New York’s offense ranks 26th in scoring and yards per game.
Rodgers is under contract through the 2025 season. He carries a $23.5 million cap hit next year, but the Jets would incur a $49 million dead-cap charge if they cut him or he retires. If the Jets declared him a post-June 1 cut (or retirement), they could split the $49 million hit over two seasons, with $14 million of it coming in 2025 and $35 million in 2026.
What to make of Rodgers’ comment
It is still too early to say whether Rodgers will be back, or, at least, whether he’ll play for the Jets. His statement wasn’t exactly a declaration of certainty — he’s been much more definitive in the past when talking about his future. This was not that.
Ultimately, whether he returns to the Jets might not even be his choice. The franchise will likely have a new head coach and general manager, and the team will have to sort through a post-Woody Johnson world if the owner leaves to become part of Donald Trump’s administration for a second time. Purely from a performance statement, Rodgers is on the decline. Inheriting a 41-year-old quarterback coming off a disappointing season might not be appealing for a prospective GM or head coach.
(Photo: Norm Hall / Getty Images)
