Aaron Rodgers is happy to return to the New York Jets next season. Just don’t ask him to audition for the job.
“If they want me to stay, great,” Rodgers said Wednesday. “If it takes these five games, maybe they don’t know what I bring to the table.”
“But having said that, I would love to play really well the last five games.”
Rodgers, who turned 41 on Monday, has struggled with his production and health as the Jets are off to a limping 3-9 start. However, he is under contract for next season with a cap figure of $23.5 million, which will be approximately 9 percent of the team’s potential payroll for the season.
A source told ESPN’s Rich Cimini They would be ‘surprised’ if owner Woody Johnson agreed to bring Rodgers back in 2025. Meanwhile, NFL Network reported that Rodgers will need a strong finish to have a chance to return next season.
The Super Bowl winner has had to deal with leg injuries (a sprained ankle, a sore knee and a pulled hamstring) for much of the season. But he came out of the bye week break feeling healthier than he had in weeks. Still, he was inconsistent in a 26-21 loss to Seattle and failed to lead New York on a winning drive on its final possession.
Rodgers is happy to return to the New York Jets next season. Just don’t ask him to audition.
A source told ESPN they would be “surprised” if owner Woody Johnson agrees to bring Rogers back.
That led some to speculate that the Jets could bench Rodgers in favor of Tyrod Taylor to perhaps spark the offense. Instead, interim coach Jeff Ulbrich said he would stick with Rodgers as the starter as long as he is healthy, and the quarterback said during his weekly appearance on ‘The Pat McAfee Show’ on Tuesday that his goal is to finish the season on the field, despite the team’s sorry record.
“That’s what you do when you’re a pro and the most important skill you can have is availability, something I wasn’t available last year,” Rodgers said Wednesday, referring to suffering a torn Achilles tendon in four plays. against his Jets. debut. ‘So I would love to play and I love playing football. “I’m hyper-competitive and I love being there with the kids.”
He refused to use injuries as an excuse for his poor performance this season, saying he feels good enough to play if he is on the field. While Rodgers has thrown for 2,627 yards and 19 touchdowns with eight interceptions, his 6.3 yards per pass attempt is the lowest of his career as a starter.
Rodgers said a few weeks ago that he thought he would like to play next year, but recently amended that to say he wasn’t sure. He said health would be a major factor, and if he decided to play in 2025, the Jets would be his first choice.
There are questions about whether the Jets will want him back as they rebuild with a new general manager and coach next season after the firings of Joe Douglas and Robert Saleh. Rodgers said some people have told him they hope he comes back, but “not the people who are making those decisions.”
That drew some laughter, but Rodgers said there will certainly be conversations, eventually, to determine his next move.
“I just redid my house here in Jersey,” Rodgers said. “My goal was to play a few more years here, but we’ll see. I would like to be healthy, I would like to finish on my feet and then I would like to play well and I would like to feel that they want me back. If not, I repeat, I will not be offended. No I will be angry. I will be very grateful, either way, whatever happens here.
“But I have to be mentally and physically healthy, and then there has to be interest on both sides.” And if not, I’ll look at other options. “But first I’ll think about whether I’d really like to play or not, but it usually takes me a good month to stop, which I’ll do for the first month and then we’ll see what happens.”
Rodgers, who turned 41 on Monday, has struggled with his production and health for the Jets.
During his appearance on ‘The Pat McAfee Show,’ Rodgers highlighted the Detroit Lions, who went 3-13-1 in Dan Campbell’s first year as coach in 2021 and are now tied with Kansas City for the best record in the NFL at 11-1: as a team that benefited from patient and supportive ownership.
After practice Wednesday, Rodgers was asked about those comments and whether he thinks the Jets have been equally supportive.
‘Is that a rhetorical question?’ he responded before explaining that he was just citing an example. He added that he also saw support and lack thereof at times during his 18 years in Green Bay.
Asked if he felt there was support from Jets ownership, Rodgers said, “I’d have to look.” I don’t follow many things. I’d have to ask you guys: Have there been a lot of supportive public comments?
A reporter responded by pointing out the firings of the Jets coach and general manager.
“Yes,” said Rodgers, “so there’s your answer.”