Jets QB Aaron Rodgers still undecided on if he wants to continue playing

Antwan Staley, New York Daily News on Jan 16, 2025

Published in Football

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NEW YORK — Following the Jets’ season-finale victory against the Dolphins on Jan. 5, Aaron Rodgers told reporters that he was unsure if he wanted to continue playing.

Over a week later, during his appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Rodgers said he’ll decide on his future after the Jets hire a new general manager and coach.

“I told them I’m going to take some time,” Rodgers said. “They haven’t made a decision on a GM or coach yet. Once that happens, that will take us to the next step, which is a conversation, I’m assuming, with whoever that individual is.

“But this is a time where I’m taking time for my body and my mind to clear things. There’s obviously moving pieces in New York. There have been a number of job interviews for GM and head coach. There’s even more names being released every day that the team is looking at.”

Rodgers, 41, also told reporters before the end of the season that he would take his time to decide whether to retire or continue playing before the start of free agency in March. He has left open the possibility of returning to the Jets. But with a new regime coming in, it is seemingly unlikely that Rodgers will.

In April 2023, Rodgers was traded to the Jets, hoping the team would contend and possibly win a second Super Bowl. However, after a disappointing two seasons, those dreams quickly faded.

A year after returning from his season-ending Achilles tear four plays into his debut with the Jets, Rodgers didn’t look like the same MVP quarterback he was in Green Bay. He passed for 3,897 yards, 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions as the Jets finished with a 5-12 record. Rodgers finished 20th in the league in QBR (90.5).

In addition to his uneven play throughout the 2024 season, Rodgers battled through injuries to his ankle, knee, and hamstring that appeared to impact his performance. The Jets began the year 2-1 but lost 11 of their next 14 games in arguably the most disappointing season in franchise history.

Both coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas were both fired during the season and Jeff Ulbrich finished 3-9 after becoming interim coach on Oct. 8. Before the season ended, the Jets have been interviewing candidates for both positions. Gang Green has interviewed 12 coaching and 15 general manager candidates up to this point.

Rodgers is under contract for the 2025 season, but none of his salary is guaranteed. The Jets would need to exercise a $35 million option bonus for Rodgers to return. In addition to the option bonus, he has a $2.5 million base salary.

Rodgers met with Jets owners Woody and Christopher Johnson along with Jets president Hymie Elhai after the season was over. He said the meeting was about the future of the team among other things.

However, Rodgers acknowledges that no decision will be made until the Jets hire both a new general manager and coach.

“I think everybody understands that it is going to come down to the GM and coach and myself and whether we all want to do a dance together or it is not in the cards,” Rodgers said.

One coach who has not received an interview request is former Packers and Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy. Dallas and McCarthy parted ways earlier this week.

McCarthy coached Rodgers for 13 seasons, from 2006 until his firing in 2018. During that span, McCarthy went 125-77-2 with the Packers, leading them to the playoffs nine times and winning a Super Bowl in 2010.

There has been reported friction between Rodgers and McCarthy. However, the four-time NFL MVP called McCarthy “a hell of a ball coach” and doesn’t believe he will be unemployed for long.

McCarthy completed an interview with the Bears on Wednesday and has been linked to the Saints coaching opening.

“What they did this year with the amount of injuries they had, that was amazing,” Rodgers said about McCarthy and the Cowboys. “Everybody that places with Mike and gets to know him a little bit and gets to feel that great big heart he’s got, it’s special.”

After the end of the season, Rodgers flew back from New Jersey to his offseason home in Malibu, Calif. Since then, he has had limited communication with the Jets, mainly because of the wildfires ravaging the area.

Since the wildfires started on Jan. 7, more than 40,000 acres have burned in Southern California. The Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles is among the areas affected.

Rodgers’ home in Malibu is fine and is not in the affected areas of the Southern California wildfires. However, when he returned home, Rodgers said his house had no power.

“It has been a weird time for so many people that live down here,” Rodgers said. “Friends of mine that lost houses, a number of friends in the Palisades lost their home. A number of friends in Pasadena were affected.

“It has been a tough time for sure. There’s a lot of other people, you know, average great Southern California folks who lost everything as well.”