Two years ago, the New York Jets acquired four-time MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers expecting him to be the final piece to get them over the top. Now, the two parties are headed for a bitter, yet predictable divorce.
According to FOX Sports' Jay Glazer, the Jets recently informed Rodgers that they plan to move on from him this offseason. Rodgers, 41, missed essentially the entire 2023 season due to injury, and while his play was generally fine in 2024, the Jets finished a miserable 5-12 while firing head coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas in the middle of the season.
At this point, it's probably for the best that they go their separate ways.
Rodgers' run with the Green Bay Packers cemented him as an NFL legend, but after a failed experiment in the Big Apple and considering that he's just two years removed from an Achilles tear, it's fair to wonder how much he has left in the tank. That said, he should still have a decent market this offseason, potentially including a longtime rival.
The Seattle Seahawks had plenty of battles with Rodgers over his time in Green Bay, notably including the "Fail Mary" game in 2012 and a thrilling comeback in the 2014 NFC Championship Game. It would seem inconceivable that Rodgers could come to Seattle after all those rivalries, but Sporting News' Vinnie Iyer believes that it's a viable pairing.
"The Seahawks need to decide if Geno Smith can be the right fit for the new offense under Klint Kubiak," Iyer wrote. "There's no doubt Rodgers would thrive in that version of the West Coast offense with some talented wide receivers, including Jaxon Smith-Njigba and DK Metcalf. Don't sleep on the Seahawks taking a shot on an older, potential QB upgrade, with the hope that Rodgers can still push them to a higher offensive ceiling."
Right now, it seems very unlikely that the Seahawks would move on from Smith. The team's brass has publicly expressed its confidence in him since the season ended last month, and there don't seem to be many better options out there. It goes without saying, but Rodgers obviously would not come to Seattle if Smith is still around.
Additionally, the Seahawks have the problem of their offensive line being, shall we say, bad. They allowed 54 sacks this season, and Rodgers, not being anywhere near as mobile as he used to be, could struggle behind that line. Remember, Rodgers' lack of weapons was not the problem in New York, the Jets' atrocious offensive line was.
Maybe the dominos fall in the right way that Rodgers does come to Seattle, but as it stands, it seems pretty unlikely.
