The New York Jets released quarterback Aaron Rodgers before free agency began a few weeks ago. The Jets had hoped the future Hall of Famer would be the key to postseason football when they traded for him a couple of years ago. Unfortunately, his time in New York didn’t go the way either side imagined.
Rodgers played 17 full games — and four snaps — as a Jet. When healthy, he played well enough. In 2024, he threw for just under 3,900 yards with 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. But those numbers didn’t lead to many wins, as New York finished the season 5-12.
Rodgers reportedly narrowed his next stop to the New York Giants, Minnesota Vikings, and Pittsburgh Steelers. However, the Giants signed Jameis Winston in free agency, and the Vikings have taken themselves out of the running. Rodgers remains on the open market, and one NFL insider offered insight into why that might still be the case.
Why Aaron Rodgers Is Still Choosing Between Steelers, Giants
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk recently wrote about Rodgers’ situation. While free agency tends to move quickly, Rodgers is moving at his own pace — and it’s intentional.
“Some (hand raised) have criticized quarterback Aaron Rodgers for taking his time in picking a new team,” Florio wrote.
“As one source explains it, however, Rodgers is simply being a good client. Rodgers’ agent, David Dunn, has been encouraging Rodgers to be patient. Patience can become leverage. Leverage can improve offers. As we understand it, the Steelers have had an offer on the table for nearly two weeks. It hasn’t been sweetened, yet. It could be, in theory.”
There’s some logic in waiting. Rodgers is still the top quarterback available in free agency, according to PFSN’s Free Agent Rankings. Any team still looking for help under center will consider him first. That said, this could also be the final contract Rodgers signs in his NFL career. If 2025 is his last season, it makes sense that he’d want to be absolutely sure he’s landing in the right situation.
But patience has its risks, and it might already be hurting him. The Giants now have Winston and a top-three pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. It’s tough to imagine them adding another veteran quarterback.
Minnesota made sense as a veteran-friendly landing spot alongside 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy, but they’ve decided they were content with what they have, signaling they’re not waiting on Rodgers.
That leaves the Steelers. Calling this a Steelers-or-bust situation might be a stretch — but not by much. In the NFL, anything can happen, especially in the offseason. Time will tell if Rodgers’ slow-play approach to free agency pays off — or leaves him without a team.
How Did Rodgers Fare in 2024?
While Rodgers was far from the MVP form he displayed with the Green Bay Packers, he performed admirably for a Jets roster that was admittedly lacking in several key regards. His numbers did not result in wins, but he did record a grade of 72.2 (21st in the NFL), according to PFSN’s QB+ metric.
While unspectacular, he did elevate the Jets’ offensive grade from 49.6 (32nd in the NFL) in 2023 to 72.7 in 2024 (19th in the NFL), according to PFSN’s Offense+ metric. In fact, their 2024 grade was the franchise’s highest since at least 2019, as far back as PFSN’s Offense+ data dates.
The Jets’ next-best season came in 2021 (66.3, 26th), while 2019-2020 and 2022-2023 all saw finishes of either 31st or 32nd in the NFL in their respective seasons, showing the impact Rodgers had on the team’s offense.
However, at his age (41) and with his restricted mobility due to his Achilles injury — which heavily limited New York’s offense — there is still doubt about to what degree he can elevate an offense.
If Pittsburgh is the place to go, Rodgers will have to be more willing to throw the ball deep and to the outside with weapons like George Pickens and DK Metcalf, two talented receivers that admittedly don’t mesh well with Rodgers’ skill set/preferences.