Watch: New York Jets Superstar Joins Elite Group of NFL Quarterbacks

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers is now just the fifth player in NFL history to throw at least 500 touchdown passes.

Jan 5, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) throws a pass during pregame warmups for their game against the Miami Dolphins at MetLife Stadium. / Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers may be controversial, but there is no denying that he will go down as one of the NFL’s greatest quarterbacks.

He only cemented that legacy further in Sunday’s finale against the Miami Dolphins, as he joined the rarest of list among pro quarterbacks — 500 touchdown passes.

Rodgers recorded the milestone in the second quarter with 7:57 left as he stepped up in the pocket to avoid pressure and found tight end Tyler Conklin for the score.

With that score, he joined Tom Brady (649), Drew Brees (571), Peyton Manning (539) and Brett Favre (508) with 500 or more touchdown passes.

Rodgers, now 41 years old, is a sure-fire Hall-of-Famer, based on this stat alone. Favre and Manning are in the Hall, and Brady and Brees would appear to be first-ballot locks once they’re eligible.

And @T_Conk1 grabs that TD pass for @AaronRodgers12' 500th!

📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/05Wqv0FGY3

— New York Jets (@nyjets) January 5, 2025

Rodgers entered the game with 3,623 passing yards with 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions this season. He also had 62,678 passing yards, 499 touchdowns and 115 interceptions for his career, which started in 2005 with Green Bay. But he didn’t become a full-time starter until 2008 when Favre left for the Jets.

He led the Packers to the Super Bowl XLV title and was the game’s MVP. He is also a four-time NFL MVP, most recently in 2021. He is a four-time first-team All-Pro and a 10-time second-team All-Pro. He has also been selected to the Pro Bowl 10 times.

Rodgers has led the NFL in passer rating four times, and his single-season passer rating of 122.5 in 2011 is an NFL record. He’s led the league in touchdown passes twice. He also led the NFL in completion percentage in 2020. He was selected to the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team and given the Bart Starr Award in 2014. He was named the Associated Press Athlete of the Year in 2011.

His time in New York has not come without controversy, thanks in part of his weekly appearances on ESPN’s Pat McAfee Show. Traded by Green Bay to New York last offseason, Rodgers tore his Achilles in his fourth snap as a Jet and missed the entire 2023 season.

He returned this season and for the majority of the season did not look like the future Hall-of-Famer his numbers would suggest. His plays has ticked up in the last month, but he’s been sucked into the dysfunction of the franchise, which includes owner Woody Johnson reportedly suggesting to his football people that they bench Rodgers after the season’s fourth week.

A week later, he fired head coach Robert Saleh and a month later he fired general manager Joe Douglas.

Rodgers said two weeks ago that he hasn’t talked to Johnson in weeks and has made comments that suggest to former Jets coach Eric Mangini that Rodgers is trying to get the team to release him after the season.

Mangini pointed to Rodgers’ recent “I’ve never been released by a teenager” comment as a “direct shot” at Johnson.