The New York Jets are reportedly considering placing Aaron Rodgers on injured reserve as their dismal season continues to unwind.
According to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, some NFL executives even believe the veteran quarterback could be cut in a similar move to Daniel Jones’ exit from the Giants.
Earlier this week it was also claimed that Jets owner Woody Johnson wanted to bench Rodgers after the dismal Week 4 home defeat by the Denver Broncos.
Those in attendance at that meeting resisted but Rodgers, 40, has since guided the Jets to a horrendous 3-8 record so far this season.
The team’s performances have seen Johnson fire both head coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas.
Douglas lost his job as GM on Tuesday, six weeks after the head coach was replaced following a 2-3 start. The Jets have since gone 1-5 under interim coach Jeff Ulbrich.
Rodgers has struggled since returning from an Achilles tendon injury that he suffered in Week 1 of last season.
The four-time NFL MVP has expressed a desire to play another season in the NFL but it remains unclear whether that will be in New York.
Rodgers is slated to make a non-guaranteed $37.5million in 2025 with a dead cap hit of $49m as his salary cap total goes from $17.1m to $23.5m.
The Jets could spread the dead money over two years by releasing Rodgers with the use of post-June 1 designation. He has a no-trade clause in his contract so they would need his permission to make a deal.
The San Francisco 49ers, Minnesota Vikings and Las Vegas Raiders have all been mooted as possible destinations for Rodgers next season.
Johnson’s future outside of football could be a factor in beginning the rebuild of the Jets.
He served as the U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom during President-elect Donald Trump’s first term, when Johnson’s brother Christopher was in charge of the team and hired Saleh.
Johnson could potentially fill that role again with Trump elected for the second time, and that would cause him to relinquish day-to-day operations of the team at some point next year.
Douglas was widely celebrated when he swung the trade – with Johnson’s urging – to acquire Rodgers from Green Bay. But the four-time NFL MVP tore his left Achilles tendon four snaps into the 2023 season opener and the Jets never recovered, finishing 7-10.
Rodgers entered training camp this summer healthy and with renewed zest for playing – and revived the franchise’s Super Bowl hopes in the process.
Instead, the Jets have been arguably the NFL’s most disappointing team – and now the future of Rodgers, who will turn 41 on December 2 and has a year remaining on his contract, is uncertain.
The failure of Rodgers to produce anywhere close to his usual level while with the Packers will be a stain on Douglas’ resume.
The GM’s inability to successfully build a consistently solid offensive line will be another, along with the team’s decision to trade quarterback Sam Darnold to Carolina and draft Zach Wilson as his replacement with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 draft.
But Douglas also made several key moves to establish a young core, including drafting cornerback Sauce Gardner, wide receiver Garrett Wilson, edge rusher Jermaine Johnson and running back Breece Hall in the first two rounds of the 2022 draft.
