Jets Release Official Statement on Parting Ways With Aaron Rodgers

The Aaron Rodgers era has come to a merciful end.
The Aaron Rodgers era is finished in New York
The Aaron Rodgers era is finished in New York / Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images
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Ahead of Super Bowl LIX, multiple reports emerged all saying the same thing— the New York Jets were done with Aaron Rodgers. Jay Glazer was first to report for Fox that the franchise intended to part ways with Rodgers this upcoming offseason as it enters a new era under head coach Aaron Glenn and GM Darren Mougey. On Thursday, the Jets made the news official, releasing statements from owner Woody Johnson alongside Glenn and Mougey thanking Rodgers and explaining the decision.

"I personally want to thank Aaron for his time at the New York Jets," Johnson said in his statement. "His arrival in 2023 was met with unbridled excitement and I will forever be grateful that he chose to join us to continue his Hall of Fame career. From day one, he embodied all that it meant to be a New York Jet, embraced our fans, and immersed himself in our city. That is what I will remember most when I look back at his time here. He will always be welcome, and I wish him only the best in whatever he chooses to do next."

"Last week we met with Aaron and shared that our intention was to move in a different direction at quarterback," read the next statement from Glenn and Mougey. "It was important to have this discussion now to provide clarity and enable each of us the proper time to plan for our respective futures. We want to thank him for the leadership, passion, and dedication he brought to the organization and wish him success moving forward."

And thus, the Aaron Rodgers era has come to its conclusion in New York. All-in, Rodgers spent two seasons in a Jets uniform, missed his first full year due to an Achilles tear, and won only five games in his second campaign. All the while the Jets openly floundered, firing their head coach and GM while moving mountains to bring in Rodgers's favored targets and coordinators.

The Jets move forward, but still have steps to take before Rodgers is well and truly gone— assuming he doesn't just retire and save them the trouble. They could try to shop the future Hall of Fame quarterback in an attempt to find a trade partner but given Rodgers's 2024 stats were well below his usual standard it may be difficult to find interested parties. Should New York go ahead and release Rodgers, they'll have to carry a significant cap hit into 2025 and potentially beyond depending on how the front office chooses to handle it.

Now attention turns to how the Jets will find their next quarterback, and what uniform Rodgers will wear in 2025 should he elect to suit up for another year under center.


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Liam McKeone
LIAM MCKEONE

Liam McKeone is a senior writer for the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He has been in the industry as a content creator since 2017, and prior to joining SI in May 2024, McKeone worked for NBC Sports Boston and The Big Lead. In addition to his work as a writer, he has hosted the Press Pass Podcast covering sports media and The Big Stream covering pop culture. A graduate of Fordham University, he is always up for a good debate and enjoys loudly arguing about sports, rap music, books and video games. McKeone has been a member of the National Sports Media Association since 2020.