With the New York Jets firing Joe Douglas, Aaron Rodgers’ future with the franchise remains uncertain. There are many speculations about the team releasing the veteran quarterback after this season and about Rodgers potentially retiring.
However, one of the four-time NFL MVP’s former teammates doesn’t think the legendary quarterback is retiring. James Jones, who played with Rodgers from 2007-2015 in Green Bay, believes that the Jets star can still play at the highest level.
James Jones Gets Candid on Aaron Rodgers’ Future
Jones was asked about his thoughts on Rodgers’ future in a recent segment on Fox Sports’ The Facility. He thinks although the 40-year-old quarterback hasn’t won games for the Jets, his numbers are still not that bad.
“We cannot go out like that,” said Jones about Rodgers’ retirement. “The most important stat at the quarterback spot is wins, and to be honest with you, that’s really the only thing Aaron Rodgers is not accomplishing because you can’t sit here and tell me that he can’t play football… That’s what you cannot tell me because when I look at these numbers and all that, and this is a guy coming off of an Achilles injury.”
The Jets quarterback has thrown for 2,442 yards, 17 touchdowns, and seven interceptions in 11 games. He has completed 63.4% of his throws, with a passer rating of 88.9, and is averaging 6.4 yards per pass attempt.
Jones added, “The only thing I’m going to say is, as a football player, I feel like Aaron Rodgers still has some left. I do, I truly do. The way he plays and helps his team win that’s not there this year, he has not elevated everybody, and he is not winning football games, but when you watch him play, he still can play the game of football at a high level in my humble opinion.”
Despite his struggles, Rodgers is still 15th in passing yards this year, tied for ninth in passing touchdowns, 21st in passer rating, and has been sacked 26 times. There is no denying that the future Hall of Famer has not played up to his lofty standards, but he can still make plays in a well-established system.
Coaching has been the biggest issue for the Jets, and the team hasn’t profited at all after the surprising decision to fire Robert Saleh. Their defense is probably playing worse than their offense.
The Jets have an ownership issue, as evidenced by Woody Johnson’s suggestion that the coaches should bench Rodgers after the team’s loss to the Denver Broncos in Week 4. Even if they get rid of the veteran quarterback, the team won’t improve, as there are many question marks around the franchise.
Not only Rodgers but another quarterback who came off a season-ending Achilles injury isn’t playing well either. Kirk Cousins hasn’t looked the same with the Atlanta Falcons, but he can eventually get better, and the same could be said about Rodgers.
Best Landing Spots for Rodgers
Rodgers has mentioned that his future with the Jets depends on whether the new head coach and the general manager decide to keep him.
Both Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones will be free agents after this season, and a move to the Minnesota Vikings (following the same arc as Brett Favre) for Rodgers could make sense for them.
The New York Giants are another team that could be willing to bring Rodgers to serve as a bridge quarterback. This would allow whichever quarterback they draft next year time to get used to the NFL and learn from one of the best players in the sport’s history.
The Miami Dolphins are also an intriguing option that could look to get Rodgers due to Tua Tagovailoa’s injury history.