To say that the move to connect Aaron Rodgers to the New York Jets has been a Big Apple-sized failure is an understatement. Acquiring the Hall of Fame-bound Rodgers was supposed to be the final piece in making the Jets a Super Bowl contender. Instead, when his second season in New York ends in six weeks, the Jets will have extended their playoff-free streak to 14 straight years.
That is the most years without a playoff appearance in the NFL by five years, and it will become eight years longer than anyone else if the Denver Broncos make the playoffs.
Rodgers isn’t responsible for the Achilles injury that cost him all of 2023. But in 2024, his mediocre play, coupled with reports that he’s been less than a leader in the locker room, puts the blame for this dysfunctional season squarely at his feet. Head coach Robert Saleh was fired after Week 5, and general manager Joe Douglas was fired this week, and there is nowhere else for the buck to stop.
Rodgers says he is leaning toward playing in 2025, but it’s hard to envision a scenario where a new general manager and head coach want to move forward with Rodgers. He has a cap hit of $23.5 million in 2025, so it would be painful for the Jets to cut him. But if he is designated as a post-June 1 cut, that would save New York $9.5 million. Or they can try to trade him.
Retirement Betting Odds
If the 2024 season ends with Rodgers looking like his old self, the odds for what will happen in 2025 could change. But right now, with the Jets in disarray and heading to a rebuild, retirement for Rodgers before the 2025 season kicks off pays +130. Rodgers not retiring before next season begins is paying -175.
Those odds mean that bookmakers and bettors think that Rodgers will at least begin the 2025 season on a team, either the Jets or someone else. ESPN’s Rick Cimini reported that he was told by a source that it would be a “shock” if Rodgers was still a Jet next season. So if he is still playing, where would that be?
Rodgers’ Next Team Possibilities
Rodgers won’t have many options. Competitive teams with settled starting quarterbacks are immediately off the list. But that does leave a few who would probably at least chat about the possibilities internally.
Rodgers is already in New York, and he’s playing at MetLife Stadium. The Giants have officially given up on Daniel Jones, benching him this week in favor of Tommy DeVito, and Rodgers might be of interest.
You wouldn’t have to do much convincing to Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis. He needs a quarterback next year, and he likes redos, as when he hired Jon Gruden as head coach for a second time. He also likes Hall of Fame level quarterbacks enough to sell Tom Brady a portion of the team. Maybe he works out the same kind of compensation for Rodgers. DaVante Adams, however, might suggest to his friend that he avoid the Silver and Black.
On the other end of the spectrum, you have the very competitive Pittsburgh Steelers, but who don’t have a true No. 1 quarterback. Russell Wilson is coming off his worst start of the season, and the Steelers modest financial commitment to him ends after this season.
With over 25 years of experience as a distinguished sports writer for renowned platforms such as Fox Sports and ESPN, Kyle Garlett is a sports betting specialist who has been at the forefront of documenting the global surge in sports betting and online gaming. Based in Denver, Colorado, Kyle hosts an NFL betting YouTube show and podcast. Kyle also has two sports books published by HarperCollins.
Kyle graduated the Azusa Pacific University in 1996 with a B.A. Degree in Communication and Journalism.
