Aaron Rodgers’ future with the New York Jets in the NFL is anything but certain. Now the quarterback commented on a possible dismissal and took a media report with humor.
Rodgers had already admitted on Sunday after the 9:19 defeat against the Los Angeles Rams that he could possibly be released by the New York Jets after the season. On Monday he followed up again on the “Pat McAfee Show” and appeared to be quite relaxed.
“Getting fired would be something new for me. Getting fired by a teenager would be something new too,” Rodgers joked. This was, of course, a clear reference to a report from The Athletic after team owner Woody Johnson blocked a potential trade for wide receiver Jerry Jeudy because his teenage son told him against it due to his poor rating in the video game “Madden NFL 25.” advised against.
“So, I’m open to anything and I find the comedy in it all. And when that happens, it’s a great story,” Rodgers added.
Rodgers believes dismissal is possible
Rodgers previously stated that the Jets would be his first option should he decide to play a 21st season in the NFL. On Monday, however, he said: “I think there’s a world where they’ll say, ‘Hey, thank you, we’re going in a different direction on January 6th.'”
January 6th is the day after the end of the regular season known as “Black Monday,” when coaches or officials are typically fired after poor seasons. However, a Rodgers separation would certainly come much later in the offseason.
“That’s a possibility. But I think there’s also the possibility that we’ll wait and see what the new staff will look like,” said Rodgers, referring to the radical changes the Jets will face after the firing of head coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas are in the house.
Rodgers is entitled to a base salary of $2.5 million for 2025 if the team draws an option bonus of $35 million beforehand. If it doesn’t, the contract would end in the new league year and Rodgers would be a free agent for the first time in his career. However, a separation from Rodgers would result in a dead money amount of $49 million – or a loss of $25.5 million in cap space.