
Rodgers says Jets ‘first option’ if he plays in 2025
Aaron Rodgers has yet to decide if he will retire after this season, but if he does play in 2025, he would like to stay with the New York Jets.
Rodgers addressed his future during his regular appearance on the “The Pat McAfee Show,” after rumours had surfaced that he was feuding with the Jets’ front office amid a disappointing season.
“I don't even know if I want to play yet, but New York would be my first option,” Rodgers said of his plans for 2025.
The four-time MVP shot down reports by The Athletic that he hoped to play for another team next season.
“That's 100% false,” Rodgers said.
Rodgers, who turns 41 next week, is having an unimpressive statistical season, while the much-hyped Jets have lost seven of their last eight games.
With disappointing results on the field, the Jets fired general manager Joe Douglas and head coach Robert Saleh midway through the season. Rodgers’ future may be determined more by New York’s new leadership than the future Hall of Famer himself.
“When you're 40, going on 41, you're obviously at the end of your career,” he said. “... Obviously, if it's New York, they have to want me to be here. And then the new GM, new staff all have to want me to be with the Jets.
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“And then body-wise, I have to see how I'm feeling and if I want to sign up to go back to the grind and all that, but it feels good. I'm healthy now.
“It's not as much fun when you're dealing with rehab all the time. So, if I can stay healthy the rest of the year and play the way I want to play, and everybody feels good about bringing me back, then there's a decision there.
"And if not, then there's all the other options. I think, at this point, I'm open to everything and attached to nothing. So, it's a good place to be.”
Interim coach Jeff Ulbrich told reporters on Monday that Rodgers is “absolutely” the Jets’ starter for Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks, denying rumours that New York could bench or release him.
Rodgers, who missed nearly all of last season due to a torn Achilles tendon, said that his two seasons in New York have been “frustrating and difficult” but maintained his positivity about his experience with the Jets.
“These have been two of the most important years of my life and two of the best years of my life,” Rodgers said.