On Thursday afternoon, the New York Jets sent out a press release announcing that they were moving forward without quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The release didn’t specify if Rodgers will be waived or traded — it just stated that he won’t be with the team in 2025.
“Last week we met with Aaron and shared that our intention was to move in a different direction at quarterback,” said Jets head coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey in a joint 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.”
So, with the Rodgers era ending in New York, where will the four-time NFL MVP play next? While he hasn’t officially confirmed that he’ll play next season, let’s analyze four potential landing spots under the assumption that he continues his NFL career.
4 Possible Destinations for Aaron Rodgers
Before getting into the possible suitors, it’s important to understand Rodgers’ contract situation. Here are the contract implications of a Rodgers release or trade:
- $23.5 million cap hit for 2025 as currently scheduled.
- If cut or traded before the option bonus is paid before the 2025 regular season, he’ll count for $49 million in dead money on the Jets’ cap.
- Acquiring team via trade would get a $9.5 million cap number this year but pay $37.5 million in cash and would have $28 million in dead money next year when the deal voids.
Where could Rodgers land this offseason?
Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders did not hire Pete Carroll for a long rebuild. At 73 years old, Carroll is unlikely to be there for the long haul, which means the Raiders need to take a step to challenge sooner rather than later.
Picking sixth in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Raiders are unlikely to see either Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders fall to them. A trade-up to get either would be expensive, and there’s no guarantee it would be any more successful than a gamble on Rodgers.
Aidan O’Connell is under contract for 2025, and while he ended the season with a better QB+ than Rodgers, it was by 1.6 points and one spot in the rankings. Despite the recent struggles, Rodgers’ ceiling is higher.
Tennessee Titans
The Titans are likely to move on from Will Levis, who was a negative-play machine in his second season. Most have assumed that the Titans will use the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft on their preferred quarterback.
However, Rodgers is affordable and could allow the Titans not to reach in a below-average quarterback class. Tennessee needs help all over the roster after ranking 27th in Offense+ and 22nd in Defense+. A true game-changer like Abdul Carter or Travis Hunter could enable the Titans to contend faster than expected after spending a significant amount on a veteran defense in 2024.
New York Giants
Could Rodgers continue to play his home games at MetLife Stadium? The Giants have a well-known quarterback hole but pick third overall in the draft. If Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders go off the board to the Titans and Browns, the Giants could be left without a good quarterback option.
However, Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen could be incentivized to take a swing on a veteran quarterback instead of waiting for a rookie to develop. Owner John Mara’s comments after the season made it clear that both Daboll and Schoen are on thin ice, which means they could opt for a win-now option in hopes of earning another season.
Rodgers would have more upside than just about any veteran quarterback option in free agency, except Sam Darnold (who also had a rough Jets stint). The Giants ranked 31st in Offense+, ahead of only the Browns, and will likely seek to add win-now talent to improve that side of the ball.
Wherever Nathaniel Hackett Lands
At this point, it’s clear that Rodgers has a very narrow group of preferred playcallers. The close relationship between Rodgers and Nathaniel Hackett is well-known, with the latter following the quarterback to New York after three years together in Green Bay.
Hackett won’t be a part of Aaron Glenn’s coaching staff in New York but could land somewhere else. It’s possible that Hackett could wait for Rodgers to find a destination before joining that team’s coaching staff, or the two could map out a franchise willing to employ both individuals.
The issue is that Hackett’s connections don’t seem to spell a likely match for Rodgers. He coached with Doug Marrone for three seasons on the Jaguars staff from 2016-18, but Marrone is now the offensive line coach for the New England Patriots. Rodgers seems unlikely to accept a backup role, and Drake Maye is the unquestioned starter in Foxboro.
A reunion in Green Bay is obviously not happening, and the Broncos are set with Bo Nix (and likely wouldn’t hire Hackett anyway after his disastrous head-coaching stint in 2022).