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NFL Insider Says Jets Now See Aaron Rodgers As a 'Bridge Quarterback'

The Jets are ready to look towards the future.

Tyler Lauletta

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers prepares for a snap.
New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers prepares for a snap. / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
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The Aaron Rodgers era with the New York Jets has not gone according to plan.

After getting knocked out for the season just four plays into his first season with the team, Rodgers’s first year on the field with the team isn’t going much better. The Jets entered Week 14 with a record of 3-9 and all but officially eliminated from the playoff race, and the offense has sputtered even after the acquisition of superstar wide receiver and noted friend of Rodgers, Davante Adams.

While Rodgers has said his first choice would be to play for the Jets if he returns next season, there have been rumblings around the team calling for change. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, that change is coming, with the team looking toward the future in the upcoming 2025 NFL draft.

“My understanding is the Jets could, and likely will, still draft a young quarterback whether or not Aaron Rodgers is on the roster,” Rapoport said ahead of the early window kickoff on Sunday. “If they draft a young quarterback, they need a bridge starter—essentially, that’s what Rodgers is now.”

While it’s tough to imagine a Super Bowl champion and four-time NFL MVP as a “bridge quarterback,” father time comes for even the best athletes. Rodgers just turned 41, and has not looked like anything close to a four-time MVP winner since suiting up for the Jets.

Maybe one more offseason is just what Rodgers needs for a reset, but regardless of what’s next for him, the Jets appear ready to close this chapter and open a new one.

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Tyler Lauletta
TYLER LAULETTA

Tyler Lauletta is a staff writer for the Breaking and Trending News Team/team at Sports Illustrated. Before joining SI, he covered sports for nearly a decade at Business Insider, and helped design and launch the OffBall newsletter. He is a graduate of Temple University in Philadelphia, and remains an Eagles and Phillies sicko. When not watching or blogging about sports, Tyler can be found scratching his dog behind the ears.

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