After a disappointing season, New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers has a big decision to make: will he continue playing football next season or retire?
His former Green Bay Packers teammate Brett Favre gave Rodgers a little piece of advice to weigh as he weighs both options.
Brett Favre Thinks Aaron Rodgers Can Still Play
As many may recall, Favre found himself in this exact situation several times over the years, even unretiring to play for the Packers’ rival, the Minnesota Vikings, and leading them to the playoffs. Favre thinks Rodgers should think about this long and hard before making a decision.
“He’s got something left,” Favre told TMZ Sports about Rodgers. “I think I’m right in saying that he has a lot of juice left in the tank. I just know that he still can play. It’s just a matter of does he want to, and does he want to give it his all? And does a team want to take a chance on him?
“If there’s any little inkling in him that wants to play and prove that he can still do it at a high level, then I would say, ‘Do it.’ You saw it this last game. You go, ‘Well, where’s that been?’ That’s the Aaron Rodgers we know. He’s making all the throws. Guys are responding to him, love playing with him. Where’s that been all year?”
With Rodgers returning from his torn Achilles, many thought the Jets would be playoff-bound this season. After all, this was a team that won seven games last year despite starting Zach Wilson, Trevor Siemian, and Tim Boyle at quarterback.
Unfortunately, the Jets failed to live up to the preseason hype. Despite throwing 28 touchdown passes and nearly 4,000 yards, Rodgers ranked No. 21 in PFN’s QB+ metric with a 72.6 (C) grade.
PFN’s QB+ metric assigns a letter grade to every quarterback performance and factors in a number of stats such as success rate when pressured, third-down conversion rate, pocket production, and clutch performance.
Rodgers May Not Return to the Jets
One thing that might make Rodgers’ decision easier is that he likely isn’t returning to the Jets. With Rodgers owed a $35 million option bonus just to remain for one more year, it seems unlikely he will be back in New York next season.
Rodgers is fully aware that he has likely played his final game with the Jets.
“I’m just more resigned to the reality of the situation,” Rodgers said recently. “I think there’s going to be change here, and if I’m [not] a part of the change, then I just want to make sure everybody knows I have nothing but gratitude for my time here.”
Davante Adams could also be moving on from the Jets, and there have been rumblings that Garrett Wilson may request a trade, so all eyes will be on New York this offseason.
Rodgers is going to take some time to weigh all of his options before making a decision.
“I need a break mentally,” Rodgers said recently. “I don’t want to make a decision until I’ve been able to rest mentally and physically … I just need a break to refresh, put my feet in the sand, and see where I’m at after that.
“March is free agency. I don’t think we’re going to get that far because there’s going to be a regime change here with the GM and then I’ll either get a call or have a conversation and go from there.”
If Rodgers does retire, he’ll be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Throughout his 20-year NFL career, he has thrown for 62,952 yards, 503 touchdowns, and 116 interceptions on a 65.1% completion percentage.
His resume includes a Super Bowl title, Super Bowl MVP award, four NFL MVPs, five All-Pro selections, 10 Pro Bowl nods, and a spot on the NFL’s 2010s All-Decade Team. Rodgers holds the NFL record for career passer rating, career TD-INT ratio, and single-season passer rating.