The Aaron Rodgers era in New York was a wild one from start to finish. After two woeful seasons, the Jets announced their intentions with the veteran quarterback through a press release. With all the pomp and circumstances about his arrival, his tenure couldn’t have gone any worse.
It is a new beginning in the New York Jets organization, with a new head coach Aaron Glenn to boot. And, it looks like Rodgers isn’t going to be a part of it anymore.
Aaron Rodgers Done As New York Jets QB
After being hyped up for two seasons, the Aaron Rodgers tenure in New York didn’t go according to plan. The team finished with five wins and was far from the juggernaut many pegged them to be.
Now, it looks like their time has come to an end, with an official press release signaling the end of his tenure. For weeks, rumors and reports suggested that the breakup was coming. However, it came far quicker in the offseason than most people anticipated.
“Last week we met with Aaron and shared that our intention was to move in a different direction at quarterback,” said head coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey in a statement released by the team.
“It was important to have this discussion now to provide clarity and enable each of us the proper time to plan for our respective futures. We want to thank him for the leadership, passion, and dedication he brought to the organization and wish him success moving forward.”
MORE: 4 Potential Landing Spots For Aaron Rodgers Entering NFL Offseason
Despite their differences, chairman Woody Johnson was professional in addressing the end of Rodgers’ tenure. “I personally want to thank Aaron for his time at the New York Jets.” He spoke about the excitement that the four-time MVP brought to the squad, from the moment his signing was announced.
“His arrival in 2023 was met with unbridled excitement and I will forever be grateful that he chose to join us to continue his Hall of Fame career. From day one, he embodied all that it meant to be a New York Jet, embraced our fans, and immersed himself in our city. That is what I will remember most when I look back at his time here. He will always be welcome, and I wish him only the best in whatever he chooses to do next.”
This came just days after it was confirmed that Rodgers wasn’t willing to agree with the conditions set by the organization. In particular, there were two hard boundaries that the soon-to-be 41-year-old had to meet to proceed as the Jets’ signal-caller.
“He’d have to attend all training camp practices, and he’d no longer be permitted to do his ‘Pat McAfee Show’ appearances. It wasn’t nearly like his recruitment from two offseasons ago. More broadly, it makes clear Glenn and [Darren] Mougey are putting an emphasis on individual accountability.”
How Did Rodgers Fare in New York?
After snapping his Achilles on the first drive of the 2023 season, Rodgers made multiple “attempts” to return during the season. However, ultimately coming back in 2024, the year got off to a bad start immediately, with the quarterback missing training camp in an unexcused absence.
From there, the situation went from bad to worse. A midseason trade for Davante Adams where New York overpaid for the veteran wide receiver, the firing of head coach Robert Saleh, and the constant appearances on Pat McAfee didn’t help matters.
Eventually, the 5-12 Jets finished with the 19th-ranked offense in the league, up from dead last in 2023, but far from a solid unit, according to PFN’s Offense+ metric.
By all accounts, a team pegged as the Vegas favorite to win the division finished a game above the lowly New England Patriots and are drafting seventh in the 2025 NFL Draft.
On a personal note, Rodgers finished 21st in PFN’s QB+ rankings with a 72.2 (C-) grade. On the season, Rodgers had a -0.02 EPA/DB (27th), ranked 36th from a clean pocket (0.07 EPA/DB), and converted just 33.5% of the time on third down (29th). His 6.2 nYPA ranked 30th and was very low, considering he’s getting 5.8 YAC/Cp, which ranks ninth this season.
This was actually an improvement over his last full season in 2022 with the Packers. That year, he graded out at a 68.0 (D+).
Beyond the QB+ numbers, Rodgers had a 2.5 touchdown-to-interception ratio, his third-worst in 16 seasons as a starter behind 2022 and 2008. That included a 4.8% touchdown rate, his third-lowest as a starter behind the 2019 and 2008 seasons.
