Aaron Rodgers has hit a rough patch in his career in the last three seasons. His final season with the Green Bay Packers ended with an 8-9 record and missing the playoffs, and his two years with the New York Jets resulted in a torn Achilles in 2023 and five wins in 2024.
The Jets have already said they will part ways with the four-time MVP but there has yet to be a robust market for the veteran signal-caller. Former NFL players Chase Daniel and Emmanuel Acho made their thoughts known why on “The Facility.”
Former NFL Players Think Good Teams Don’t Need Aaron Rodgers
The 20-year veteran has had one of the most storied careers in the history of football with four MVPs, four first-team All-Pro selections, 10 Pro Bowl nods, and a Super Bowl title. He’s a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer, but he’s recently fallen on hard times.
In 2021, the Packers went 13-4 and secured the NFC’s No. 1 seed. They lost in the Divisional Round and since then Rodgers hasn’t made the playoffs. He left Green Bay with a whimper in 2022, played four plays in 2023, and couldn’t put things together last season.
In one full season with New York, Rodgers threw for 3,897 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. The Jets won more games without Rodgers (seven) than with him (five), and he was recently shown the door by Gang Green.
So, where does he go from here? Daniel and Acho struggled to find a landing spot for Rodgers with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Minnesota Vikings, and Los Angeles Rams being brought up. They also discussed if teams would actually be better with the veteran.
“I’m not sure there’s a market for Aaron Rodgers. I don’t know if there’s going to be many teams if any that wants to sign him.”
— @ChaseDaniel pic.twitter.com/ne8Sdg1dPz
— The Facility (@TheFacilityFS1) February 24, 2025
“Forget about the Titans, Browns, Giants, and Raiders, we’re just focusing on good teams cause that’s quite honestly where he’s gonna go,” Daniel said. “Let’s start with the Steelers. They have a very bad offensive line. I’ve watched it, I’ve seen it myself. They can’t pass protect. When you can’t pass protect for a 40-something-year-old quarterback, he needs time.
“He gets the ball out of his hands quickly, but could you imagine him and [head coach Mike] Tomlin trying to get along? Tomlin is very black and white, this is how it is. Aaron Rodgers is the opposite. I think they’re polar opposites.”
The Steelers desperately need a quarterback to the point that bogus rumors came out saying the team inquired about Jacksonville Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence. Rodgers doesn’t fit a Tomlin-led team, but would Pittsburgh make it happen anyway?
“Look at the Vikings. Should they try to sign another veteran free agent or go with J.J. McCarthy? Would KOC, Coach of the Year, would he want a one-year rental with Aaron Rodgers? You’re not going to build your franchise around Aaron Rodgers,” Daniel said. “You’re trying to win for a year or two. Maybe have a young guy sit. The Vikings make a little sense.”
Minnesota has already said they’ll let Sam Darnold test free agency and seem confident McCarthy can lead the team. If he hasn’t fully recovered from preseason knee injury, perhaps Rodgers could fit on a short-term deal.
“The Rams, to me, I feel like would be the only team that makes sense for Aaron Rodgers,” Daniel said. “The only question would be does Sean McVay want him? I know Rodgers wants to go to LA, and that brings me to my final point.
“I’m not sure there’s a market for Aaron Rodgers right now. I don’t know if there’s going to be many teams if any that are gonna want to sign him. There are cheaper options out there — options with less baggage.”
Some have speculated that if Matthew Stafford leaves the Rams, Rodgers may sign with Los Angeles at a discounted rate. Los Angeles has the best offensive line of the three proposed teams, explosive weapons, and an offensive genius calling the plays. The Rams make the most sense, but Acho doesn’t think Rodgers would make them, or any team, better.
“A good team can’t want Aaron Rodgers, because teams are better as of late without Rodgers than they are with Aaron Rodgers.”
— @EmmanuelAcho pic.twitter.com/mtzIWfKUtm
— The Facility (@TheFacilityFS1) February 24, 2025
“A good team can’t want Aaron Rodgers, because teams are better as of late without Aaron Rodgers than they are with Aaron Rodgers,” Acho said. “The Packers were better once Aaron Rodgers left than they were when Aaron Rodgers was present. The Jets were better without Aaron Rodgers than they were when Aaron Rodgers was present.
“I’m not so ignorant as to sit up here and say, ‘It’s all on Aaron Rodgers.’ I won’t say that, I would never say that… But what I will say is this: with the three-year sample size, I can’t say that it is coincidence.
“The NFL season is roughly 17 games…we’re talking roughly 51 games in which teams are better without Aaron Rodgers then they are with Aaron Rodgers. I refuse to believe it’s coincidence. Is it causation? Is your absence causing teams to be better, or is there a correlation?”
Rodgers is on the downside of his career and the Packers and Jets have proven that in recent years. In PFSN’s QB+ rankings, Rodgers ranked No. 21 in the NFL last season with a 72.2 (C-) grade overall.
At this point, he has to look for a “win-now” team that will be great with, not because of, the 20-year vet.