For a franchise that hasn’t sniffed the NFL playoffs since 2010, the future suddenly looks brighter.
New York hired a highly sought-after head coach in Aaron Glenn, and the Jets could be on the verge of a massive culture change.
The question is, does Aaron Rodgers stand in the way of that change?
Some analysts — like ESPN’s Cam Newton — believe New York would be foolish to move on from Rodgers.
Meanwhile, others feel that Gang Green needs a fresh start in the Glenn era, which means parting ways with Rodgers.
In one of the most anti-Rodgers pieces yet, ClutchPoints’ Ben Strauss wrote on Thursday that not only should New York move on from Rodgers, but that the Jets need to cut ties with any players closely linked to Rodgers.
“The Jets need to dump Rodgers, (Davante) Adams, (Allen) Lazard, and other Rodgers-aligned players ASAP,” Strauss said.
“Once that is done, they need to find a different quarterback they can roll with in 2025. That’s where Kirk Cousins comes in.”
Strauss advocated for the Jets sending a 2025 fifth-round pick and conditional 2026 sixth-rounder to the Atlanta Falcons for Cousins.
“Cousins signed a massive contract to head to the Falcons during free agency last year,” Strauss said. “Now it seems that the Falcons are done with Cousins and ready to roll with Michael Penix Jr. in 2025 and beyond.”
“If Cousins were traded to the Jets, he would become a veteran leader who could help build a new culture in New York’s locker room. He is also a capable starter, even at the age of 36. The Jets do not have a realistic path to acquiring a better quarterback this offseason. This makes it even easier to stomach Cousins’ contract.”
“New York has eight picks in the 2025 NFL Draft, including two fifth- and sixth-round picks but no seventh-round pick. Sending a fifth-round pick is no big deal, especially in return for a starting quarterback. As for the 2026 pick, both teams could get creative when coming up with conditions.”
“Atlanta only has four draft picks in 2025. Adding a fifth-round pick and gaining some cap space is a big win for the Falcons too.”
“It will be fascinating to see if the Jets actually do pursue Kirk Cousins during the offseason. The first step would be cutting Aaron Rodgers, which could happen any day now.”
Strauss wasn’t clear why he believes Cousins would be a better option than Rodgers beyond the premise that Rodgers was part of New York’s failures in 2024 and should be disposed of so that Glenn and Co. can start something new.
On the contrary, who’s to say that Rodgers wouldn’t be interested in helping to build a brand new culture under the leadership of Glenn? Rodgers, after all, has only really played one full season for the Jets so far and might be particularly motivated by having unfinished business in the Big Apple.
Ultimately, the Jets should want the best QB available to them. When comparing Rodgers to Cousins, Rodgers threw for more yards, more touchdowns, and less interceptions than Cousins last season.