It has been a disappointing season for Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets. The team is 4-10, and after having fired both Robert Saleh and Joe Douglas, the team could also part ways with its starting quarterback after the season.
But Rodgers still has one year on his deal and has played much better over the last few weeks. The four-time NFL MVP recently suggested that he would be willing to mentor a young quarterback if that’s what it takes for him to be on the Jets next season.
Keyshawn Johnson Refutes Aaron Rodgers’ Comments
Keyshawn Johnson doesn’t believe that Rodgers will wholeheartedly support a rookie quarterback if he stays in New York. During a recent segment on “Speak,” the former Jets wide receiver simply said that New York’s quarterback is lying to save his spot on the team.
“Lies, lies, and more lies. See, he’s looking for a soft landing spot,” Johnson said. “Now, I will tell you, over the last month or so, he’s starting to say things like, ‘Oh, I can mentor a guy. I’m starting to feel better; my body’s coming, you know.'”
Johnson further mentioned that Rodgers’ recent form, coupled with his recent nice comments, could convince owner Woody Johnson to keep him on the roster.
.@Keyshawn reacts to Aaron Rodgers saying he’d “mentor the hell” out of a Rookie QB:
“Lies, lies, lies and more lies. He’s just looking for a soft landing.” pic.twitter.com/EEmUtCuWfU
— Speak (@SpeakOnFS1) December 19, 2024
Johnson added, “So if I [Rodgers] can convince somebody at the Jets, Woody Johnson and Company, to just bring me back for another year, they may fall for it, especially since I’ve had a nice stretch here in the last couple of games of throwing touchdowns and no interceptions.”
“If I [Rodgers] could play well the next three games, and then I endorse a young quarterback, they [Jets front office] say, ‘Yeah, I think we can do it,’ as opposed to going out there and getting another veteran quarterback, like a Kirk Cousins, for instance, to teach a young guy how to play the position. But I don’t believe Aaron Rodgers one bit at all.”
If the Jets release Rodgers, they must take on a significant cap hit. However, keeping the 41-year-old quarterback for another season would not be the worst decision, given how much he has improved over the season.
However, everything will depend on who the Jets hire for the head coaching and general manager position. If the new regime thinks Rodgers will be a distraction for whichever quarterback they draft or things they are trying to do, the Jets will not hesitate in parting ways with the future Hall of Famer.
Johnson doesn’t believe that Rodgers will be a good mentor for a young quarterback if he stays. But based on how good Jordan Love has turned out for the Green Bay Packers, and the relationship he developed while working with his predecessor, it could play a part in the Jets wanting to keep Rodgers around.
The Jets owner is known for making decisions that leave many puzzled, so it will be fascinating to see how this situation plays out.
Potential Landing Spots for Rodgers in 2025
It’s true that not many teams in the league would want to sign Rodgers if the Jets end up releasing him. There’s also a chance that the 20-year NFL veteran might not be on any team’s roster at the start of the 2025 NFL season.
Two teams that could potentially sign the former Packers star could be the Minnesota Vikings and Indianapolis Colts. If Sam Darnold leaves the Vikings to sign a big deal elsewhere in the free agency, nobody knows whether J.J. McCarthy will be ready to start next season as he is still recovering from a knee injury.
Kevin O’Connell has shown over the years that he can bring out the best in any quarterback, and Rodgers still has some good moments left in him. If McCarthy isn’t ready to start, the Vikings could pursue the current Jets quarterback.
However, whether or not Rodgers would want to imitate Brett Favre’s career arc perfectly remains to be seen, as he still has a lot of respect for the Packers organization and might not want to play for a division rival.
The Colts are in an interesting situation as Anthony Richardson has failed to show the progress that was expected from him. The team has already benched him once and could do so again if there is pressure on Shane Steichen to win games.
In his current form, it could be argued that Rodgers is still better than Richardson and Joe Flacco. According to PFN’s QB+ metric, Rodgers (C, 73.2) has graded above Richardson (F, 56.1) and Flacco (D+, 69.9) through 15 weeks.
He could help the AFC South team to challenge in one of the weakest divisions in football, and this is the kind of move that the Colts owner, Jim Irsay, could definitely agree upon given his history of pursuing veteran QBs.
Rodgers has thrown for 1,592 yards, 13 touchdowns, and just one interception, with a passer rating of 100.4 in his last seven games. The way he finishes this season will also go a long way in dictating his future in the league.