Jets’ Decision to Move On From Aaron Rodgers Back In Spotlight

The New York Jets have questions at quarterback right now ahead of their Week 8 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals.

That's a bit of an understatement. New York benched Justin Fields in Week 7 against the Carolina Panthers and now is deciding whether to start him or Tyrod Taylor against the Bengals. On Tuesday, ESPN’s Rich Cimini reported that the Jets are "moving toward" naming Taylor as the team's starter, but a decision hasn't been officially announced by the team as of writing.

Regardless of what the Jets do at quarterback this week, the fact that there is a clear and obvious question at the most important position on the field isn't great and does bring back the offseason decision to move on from Aaron Rodgers. Jets owner Woody Johnson was asked about the decision on Tuesday and acknowledged that he doesn't have any regrets, despite Rodgers playing well for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

"I never look back,” Johnson said. “You have to look forward in football. Even when you cut players, they could be Hall of Famers. You just never know. Aaron is playing great now. He’s in a situation that’s working for him.”

Aaron Rodgers is playing well, but Jets shouldn't look back

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) and Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco (16) shake hands after the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 7 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Pittsburgh Steelers at Paycor Stadium in downtown Cincinnati on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025. The Bengals won, 33-31. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Hindsight is 20-20. With the Jets sitting at 0-7, it's easy to look back at the offseason and say something different should've been done. While this is the case, the idea at the time seemed like the right move. Rodgers' NFL future was up in the air in general and the Jets were coming off a season with five wins. Moving on from an aging, expensive quarterback wasn't a bad idea in theory by any means.

This is one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history we're talking about, though, and he has turned it back up a notch for the first-place Steelers. Pittsburgh is 4-2 on the season and is playing well with 14 touchdowns, five interceptions, and 1,270 passing yards through six games. Again, hindsight is 20-20. The Jets made their decision at the time and both sides have moved on at this point. Now, it's just a matter of figuring out the position moving forward.

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