Questions About Aaron Rodgers’ Future Loom over Jets General Manager Search

The future of New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers looms as a major question over the team’s general manager search.

Los Angles Rams Head Coach Sean. McVay is shown with New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) after the game, Sunday, December 22, 2024, in East Rutherford. / Kevin R. Wexler-NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers, on more than one occasion in the past few weeks, has said several things about his future in the NFL.

First, he’ll need about a month after the season to decide if he wants to play in 2025. Second, if he decides to play, his first choice is to return to the Jets. Third, he’s willing to mentor a young quarterback next season if New York plans to pursue one, either in free agency or in the draft. Fourth, he’s even willing to take a pay cut next season.

He’s even reference twice in the last week that he could even be cut right after the season.

Rodgers’ future looms large over this offseason for the Jets, whether it’s him, the team or the future general manager and head coach.

Peter Schrager of NFL Network and Fox Sports recently wrote about the Jets’ GM search, which is already underway. Turns out, Rodgers is a talking point within the organization during the interviews.

“The one thing, per sources familiar with the opening, that keeps coming up is what the GM candidates would do with the quarterback situation,” he wrote. “Sounds rather obvious, but there are layers to it. Aaron Rodgers is a well-liked teammate and has shown flashes over the next few weeks. But his two years in New York do mark a different time and place for a team that might be looking to do a complete and utter reset.”

New York appears to be putting a premium on experience with both searches, according to SNY’s Connor Rogers.

The two experienced candidates interviewed so far are former Atlanta Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff and former Tennessee Titans GM Jon Robinson. Robinson is seen as a desirable candidate because of his ties to Mike Vrabel, his former coach in Tennessee and seen as a leading candidate for the Jets’ head-coaching job.

The third candidate was Senior Bowl director and former NFL scout Jim Nagy. He won four Super Bowl rings as a scout for three different teams.

New York can only interview candidates that are not employed in the NFL right now. The Jets can start interviewing candidates currently employed by teams two days after the end of the regular season.

Whoever gets the job will have a significant influence over what the Jets do with Rodgers, if he decides he wants to play in 2025. Schrager is right in that Rodgers has played better of late, but it hasn’t translated into victories. Rodgers hasn’t been on the injured list since after the bye week, but New York has won just one game since the bye.  

With 14 straight seasons without a playoff berth, the longest current streak in North American professional sports, winning is of paramount importance for the next hire.