The end of the road may be on the horizon for New York Jets future Hall-of-Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Jets’ Aaron Rodgers mulling retirement after letdown year
According to a recent report from ESPN’s Rich Cimini which his colleague Adam Schefter shared on X, “Rodgers acknowledged that Sunday could be his last NFL game.”
Rodgers, 41, has played in all 16 of the Jets’ regular season games in 2024. Despite his active presence in the lineup, New York has grossly underwhelmed on the campaign. They are third in the AFC East with a 4-12 record.
Rodgers has a productive individual outing at 41 years old
The 20-year veteran has amassed a stout 3,623 passing yards with a 24-10 touchdown to interception ratio this year. He could come dangerously close to notching the 11th 4,000-yard season of his career even at his advanced age in Week 18 against the Miami Dolphins.
The Jets entered the year with tremendous offseason expectations after getting the four-time NFL MVP back from a season-ending torn Achilles that he suffered in Week 1 of 2023. That, plus the team’s additions of star wide receiver Mike Williams and rookie running back Braelon Allen saw them garner projections to finish with as many as 14 wins.
Rodgers is grateful of his NFL career & is open to a 2025 return
Per Cimini, Rodgers reflected on the uncertainty of the coming months for him by saying this:
“This game has given me a lot,” he said. “I’ve given a lot back to it, and I’m thankful for it. I won’t be thinking about that on game day. I’ll just be enjoying this. I’m trying to stay in the moment, but, of course, it’s been a long career. I’m really proud of what I’ve been able to be a part of, what I’ve been able to accomplish, and I’m also looking forward to a nice mental and physical rest.”
In the same breath, the California native also touched on the prospects of giving it another go with the Jets next season:
“I’m disappointed about the performance with myself and as a team, but really thankful for the opportunity,” Rodgers said. “If I feel good coming back and they want to make another run at this, that’d be fantastic, but I’m not naive to the situation we’re in.”
Jets: Rodgers will reach the Hall-of-Fame after retirement
The Jets still have a talented roster capable of making noise, despite their forgettable season. That’s only heightened by their midseason acquisition of superstar wideout Davante Adams, who lines up next to budding superstar pass-catcher Garrett Wilson. Rodgers has all the weapons he needs to make a Super Bowl push in 2025.
Nevertheless, should he hang up his cleats after Sunday, he’ll surely enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In addition to his MVPs, the Cal product is also a 2010 Super Bowl Champion and Super Bowl MVP, four-time First-Team All-Pro honoree and two-time passing touchdowns leader. Rodgers’ generational arm led to countless breathtaking passes and downfield heaves that defined his career.