Aaron Rodgers signed a three-year deal with the New York Jets following his trade from the Green Bay Packers. He still has one year left on his deal, but there are growing speculations around the quarterback getting released by the team after this season.
If the Jets release him in 2025, they’ll have to take on a dead cap hit of $49 million. It would be a bad move for the Jets, which is why the team might be willing to keep him on the roster. However, as per Eric Mangini, Rodgers is trying his best to force the franchise into releasing him.
Eric Mangini Discusses Aaron Rodgers Forcing Jets To Release Him
Mangini, the former Jets head coach, recently appeared on “The Herd with Colin Cowherd” and discussed how the four-time NFL MVP’s subtle digs at Woody Johnson could force the franchise to make a tough decision.
“You’d like to keep Aaron because you don’t want to deal with that salary cap hit and be strapped with that,” said Mangini. “But Aaron’s doing everything he can to get cut. The fact that Aaron brought up that ‘I’ve never been cut by a teenager, I’ve never been released by a teenager,’ that’s a direct shot at the owner.”
Mangini added, “That’s legitimizing everything that’s been said in the organization; that’s making fun of how dysfunctional it is. So to me, as soon as he said that, that, in my mind, said he wants out, but he doesn’t want to retire.”
"That's a direct shot at the owner. That's legitimizing everything that's been said in the organization."
Eric Mangini tells @ColinCowherd why Aaron Rodgers is doing everything in his power to get cut from the Jets pic.twitter.com/gEknkbwV5X
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) December 27, 2024
Rodgers has often hinted that he is not looking to retire after this season and is open to playing next year. However, even he knows that his best chance of making another run at the Super Bowl might come with a different team than the Jets.
The AFC East franchise will bring in a new head coach and general manager this offseason and could potentially go into a rebuild. Moreover, the uncertainty around Garrett Wilson’s future with the franchise and his relationship with Rodgers is also a reason why the veteran quarterback might be looking for a way out of New York.
The Jets’ ownership has made multiple puzzling decisions throughout their tenure. Despite the significant cap hit amount, they might still release Rodgers to start fresh with a new quarterback, head coach, and general manager.
Rodgers Is Still Playing Better Than Many QBs in the League
Rodgers is 41 years old, but he is still playing better than many quarterbacks in the league. There might not be many teams interested in getting him for next season, but it’s only due to his age and not his performance.
He isn’t the same quarterback as he was in Green Bay, but with a good supporting cast and coaching staff, the 10-time Pro Bowler can still be valuable. In his last seven games, Rodgers has thrown for 1,615 yards, 12 touchdowns, and only one interception, completing 64.2% of his throws with a passer rating of 97.5.
Teams like the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans could be interested in signing Rodgers next season if he gets released by the Jets. The future Hall of Famer recently praised the state of Tennessee, which sparked rumors of his potential interest in the Titans.
There are still two games left in the season, and a lot could change regarding Rodgers’ relationship with Jets ownership. He can still be the team’s starting quarterback in Week 1 of next season as Rodgers has also expressed his interest in mentoring a young quarterback that the franchise drafts in the 2025 NFL Draft.