Amid a disastrous 2024 campaign in Gotham, speculation has ramped up about the New York Jets potentially moving on from quarterback Aaron Rodgers after the season.
Aaron Rodgers’ first healthy season with the Jets (he missed all but a few snaps last year with a torn Achilles) has been nothing short of miserable for everyone involved. A team that entered the year with Super Bowl aspirations is 3-8 coming out of their bye week, with GM Joe Douglas and head coach Robert Saleh already being let go.
According to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, the four-time league MVP “still wants to play in 2025, just not for the New York Jets.” Russini then floated Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence as a potential trade target for the Jets:
“Replacing Rodgers won’t be easy. The free-agent QB market is lacking, with Sam Darnold and Russell Wilson among the top names — though Wilson is expected to stay with the Steelers and the Vikings could decide to keep Darnold if he’s willing to be a backup.
Justin Fields, Derek Carr (whom the Jets pursued before Rodgers) and Daniel Jones are also potential targets, but none of them stand out as an ideal fit. The Jets could explore trading for Trevor Lawrence or drafting a quarterback, though the 2025 draft class appears weak.”
The Jaguars (2-9) are in the running for the first overall pick in 2025. They handed Lawrence a lucrative $275 million contract extension in the summer despite a disappointing end to the 2023 season, and it’s safe to say the organization is already feeling buyer’s remorse.
So trading for the 25-year-old Trevor Lawrence and his hefty contract would involve plenty of risk. The 2021 first-overall pick has yet to put together a strong season from start to finish, and it’s not like the Jets have a rich history of drafting and developing young quarterbacks.
Jets & Aaron Rodgers Can’t Run It Back In 2025
Aaron Rodgers has been the popular target of criticism in Jets land, but his season stat line isn’t that bad by any means: A 63.4 completion percentage for 2,442 yards, 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions despite playing behind one of football’s worst offensive lines.
But it’s obvious that the marriage between the ageing quarterback (he turns 41 next month) and the dysfunctional Jets isn’t going to work. Quite frankly, nobody (except maybe Davante Adams) should want the Rodgers-Jets partnership to continue next year.
