The Aaron Rodgers-New York Jets will forever be remembered as an unmitigated disaster. Not only is the ship sinking, but it’s doing so quite ungracefully, destroying everything along the way. Based on a combination of horrendous vibes and reading the tea leaves, a full-on organizational overhaul feels imminent.
Entering the 2024 campaign with Super Bowl aspirations, the Jets have fallen spectacularly short of expectations. In the process, they’ve lost their head coach and general manager, putting the franchise at a crossroads. Despite going all in for Rodgers less than two years ago, the experiment failed miserably. Suddenly, it’s back to the drawing board.
Rodgers is reportedly a “long shot” to return to the Jets in 2025, and the team has already begun its search for a lead executive and sideline general. New York’s next regime will effectively have an opportunity for a blank slate, meaning the four-time NFL MVP presumably won’t be the only one exiled.
With that in mind, these four players will join Rodgers on the chopping block this offseason as the Jets eye a fresh start.
4. Tyron Smith, OT
The Jets placed left tackle Tyron Smith on injured reserve ahead of their Week 13 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. This means he’ll have to miss at least four games, and by then, New York may elect to shut him down for the season. So, it’s possible (if not likely) that the eight-time Pro Bowler has already played his last down for Gang Green.
Smith signed a heavily incentivized one-year pact with the Jets last offseason “worth up to” $20 million. Those financial motivators were attached to playing time and individual/team success, mostly because of durability concerns, which were ultimately warranted. Nonetheless, his expiring time in New York is less about health and more because of the presence of promising rookie blindside protector Olu Fashanu.
When called up, Fashanu has shown flashes of what made him the No. 11 overall selection in this year’s NFL Draft. He looks like a legitimate building block up front and will be a focal point of the Jets’ offensive line moving forward, rendering Smith useless.
3. Allen Lazard, WR
If Rodgers won’t be back with the Jets, what’s the point of keeping his crew around? New York is better off stripping the personnel group of any connection to the future Hall of Famer, starting with wide receiver Allen Lazard.
Lazard’s contractual status complicates matters, but the Jets have a potential out of his contract for next season. He signed a four-year, $44 million deal before Rodgers arrived, foreshadowing the latter’s eventual arrival. Regardless, the $6.552 million dead cap hit that comes with cutting him isn’t insignificant, though it’s palatable.
A fine ancillary pass-catcher, Lazard is replaceable. He doesn’t need to be kept on the roster. It’s easy to envision Rodgers being brought up every time the veteran wideout makes a catch (or has any miscues with the next signal-caller).
2. Haason Reddick, EDGE
New York went to hell and back with Haason Reddick and ended up with virtually nothing to show because of it. The well-chronicled contractual standoff and holdout that lasted deep into the regular season was all for nothing, given how things have gone.
Reddick hasn’t been worth the wait whatsoever. He was brought in to provide the Jets with a reliable pass-rushing presence, but Pro Football Focus grades him 152th of 201 eligible edge defenders. The lack of production, off-field theatrics and his still-unresolved contract situation is a perfect storm for New York to sever ties.
Slated for unrestricted free agency, the Jets are better off letting Reddick walk. And based on their dragged-out and unsuccessful extension talks, he probably is fine seeking out the highest bidder.
1. Davante Adams, WR
After sending a conditional third-round pick to the Las Vegas Raiders to acquire Davante Adams midseason, the Jets would be wise to ship him off. Time is of the essence if New York wants to maximize the soon-to-be 32-year-old’s trade value.
Adams restructured his contract upon joining the Jets, giving him leverage over his future. If Rodgers, who initially lured him to New York, isn’t in the picture, he has some control should he want to change sceneries (again). Representing a rebuilding squad sounds unappetizing at this stage in the star wideout’s career, so we respect it if so.
Bringing in Adams was a last-ditch effort to salvage Rodgers’ tenure, and that didn’t do anything. The former has no reason to see it through with the Jets beyond 2024 assuming the latter doesn’t return.