Jets Should 'Part Ways' With Aaron Rodgers, Says New Report: 'Smartest Play'

Is it best for Aaron Glenn's club to start fresh at quarterback?
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Many people can already envision newly hired New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn welcoming back Aaron Rodgers to the squad in 2025, but an alternate route exists for the Jets.

Regardless of what Rodgers wants to do, New York could decide to move on from Rodgers via trade.

It’s an idea that was floated on Thursday by Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport, who published a piece entitled, “Winners and Losers of New York Jets Hiring Aaron Glenn as Head Coach”, and surprisingly labeled Rodgers as a “loser” of the Glenn hire.

“Aaron Rodgers' first two seasons in New York were essentially a disaster,” Davenport wrote.

“An Achilles tear wiped out the first before it ever really happened. The second was an uneven mess.”

“Now, Glenn is head coach in New York. We don't yet know who the offensive coordinator will be, but it ain't gonna be Rodgers' handpicked guy like Nathaniel Hackett was.”

“For that matter … we don't really know how Glenn feels about Rodgers as the team's starter at all.”

“It's a sticky wicket for Glenn. The Jets don't have a high enough draft pick to land one of this year's elite rookies. Outside of Sam Darnold, the free-agent market under center isn't great. Rodgers may well be the best option for the Jets in the short term. But turning around the culture in New York won't be easy with 52 players playing by one set of rules and one playing by another.”

“The smartest play here is probably for the Jets and Rodgers to part ways—even if it means starting over under center in Glenn's first season in charge.”

While it’s unclear what Davenport meant by Rodgers “playing” by other rules, the possible advantages of moving on from a 41-year-old QB remain relevant, especially with the Jets starting a new era under Glenn.

Rodgers is still playing at a high level, but Glenn might want to start building something long-term with a prime-aged quarterback, which is why if the Jets can snag Darnold, maybe they should.

Rodgers has a good chance of outplaying a guy like Darnold in 2025, but what about in 2026 and beyond? Glenn is reportedly signing a five-year deal, which means that he’ll be judged by ownership over a multiple-season span.

Keeping Rodgers on board might be best for the short-term, but in a year or two, Glenn and the Jets might be facing an identical situation at QB that they are now in — uncertainty. The difference between having uncertainty now compared with having uncertainty in 2027 for Glenn is that no one is breathing down Glenn’s neck right now. That might not be the case in a couple of years, which would make questions at QB all the more stressful.

The ultimate curveball scenario here is if Rodgers somehow pulls off playing into his mid-forties (something he’s talked about), in which case it might be the wisest move to hang onto him for the majority of Glenn’s contract tenure.

Of course, it’s impossible to predict what the next few years will look like for Rodgers, who is still less than two years removed from major Achilles surgery.

Davenport’s idea goes against the grain, because generally speaking, you don’t move on from a Hall of Fame quarterback unless that Hall of Fame quarterback is clearly a shell of himself.

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Colin Keane
COLIN KEANE

Colin Keane is a contributing journalist for "New York Jets On SI." Born in Illinois, Colin grew up in Massachusetts as the third of four brothers. For his high school education, Colin attended St. Mark's School (Southborough, MA), where he played basketball and soccer and served as student body president. He went on to receive a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Villanova University. Colin currently resides in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "New York Jets On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org