Aaron Rodgers landing spots: Jets tell future Hall of Fame QB they are moving on during offseason – CBS Sports
If not listed, please contact your TV provider.The Aaron Rodgers era with the New York Jets is over. When there’s a total regime change in the NFL, meaning a new general manager and a new head coach, that incoming regime typically looks to start over with their own guys. That’s now exactly what’s happening with the Jets. New head coach Aaron Glenn and new general manager Darren Mougey met with Rodgers, the four-time NFL MVP and Super Bowl XLV MVP quarterback, last week, and they informed Rodgers they will be moving on from him, per an NFL on Fox report. CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones reported Rodgers will likely be released and be a free agent in March. Given that Rodgers flew back to New Jersey from California to meet face to face with the Jets brass to discuss his future, it seems like he is trending toward playing ball in 2025 at the age of 41. Where could Rodgers head to next to perhaps finish out his future Hall of Fame career? Here are four possible landing spots. The heat is on longtime Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin in terms of public perception like it never has before in Pittsburgh after the team’s latest postseason letdown. The Steelers are on a six-game postseason losing streak with their last win coming in the 2016 AFC divisional round at the Kansas City Chiefs, a run that is tied with the Miami Dolphins for the longest active streak in the league. A glaring part of this losing streak is Tomlin’s side of the ball, the defense, noticeably struggling. Pittsburgh has surrendered at least 28 points in all six games of this playoff losing streak, which is the longest streak in Steelers history. A capable quarterback can help ease the burden on the defense come playoff time. The Steelers have a decent foundation with a top-10 scoring defense (20.4 points per game allowed in 2024, eighth best in NFL) led by edge rusher T.J. Watt. Pittsburgh was able to go 10-7 and reach the postseason while starting Justin Fields and a less mobile Russell Wilson at quarterback. Some of the Steelers’ woes could be solved simply by acquiring a more capable quarterback. Even though the Jets struggled last season, Rodgers played like a top-10 quarterback.His 28 touchdown passes were tied for the seventh most in the NFL with 2024 league MVP Josh Allen, and his 3,897 yards passing were the eighth most in the league, just ahead of Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (3,870) and just behind Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (3,928). Rodgers has also spoken highly of Tomlin, so this partnership could work in a way that it didn’t with New York given the respect the future Hall of Famer has for Pittsburgh’s head coach. On the surface, it wouldn’t seem like the Vikings would be in the Rodgers sweepstakes. Their offensive ecosystem with 2024 NFL Coach of the Year Kevin O’Connell, 2022 NFL Offensive Player of the Year Justin Jefferson, former first-round pick Jordan Addison, Pro Bowl tight end T.J. Hockenson and Pro Bowl running back Aaron Jones lifted Sam Darnold to the best season of his seven-year NFL career. Darnold is set to be a free agent in March, but Minnesota does have the 10th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft in Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy waiting in the wings. However, McCarthy’s situation is unique in that he is the first quarterback taken in the first round in the common draft era (since 1967) to miss his entire rookie season with an injury, per CBS Sports Sports. McCarthy suffered a meniscus injury in the preseason, and he needed a second procedure for his knee in November to aid his recovery. If the Vikings really want to play it safe with McCarthy’s long-term future, they could sign Rodgers to a one-year deal and wait to give the keys to McCarthy until 2026. Adding Rodgers could be the perfect one-year stopgap for Minnesota. Having played in Packers head coach Matt LaFleur’s offense, who is a descendent of the Shanahan-McVay tree, Rodgers would already walk in the building with a high familiarity with O’Connell’s playbook. Both LaFleur and O’Connell were Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinators under McVay. Rodgers could elevate that attack from what it was with Darnold simply by reducing the turnovers. Darnold’s 12 interceptions last season were tied for the fourth-most in the league last season. Rodgers has the best touchdown-to-interception ratio (503 touchdowns passing touchdowns to 116 interceptions) in NFL history, and he won back-to-back NFL MVPs running LaFleur’s offense in 2020 and 2021.No, there’s no guarantee he’ll play like an NFL MVP again, but Rodgers could play high-level football in Minnesota. Plus, he’ll have plenty of motivation with the added bonus of facing the Green Bay Packers twice in a season and having the chance to outdo what Packers predecessor Brett Favre did in his stop with the Vikings. The Tennessee Titans could eschew taking a quarterback first overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, or they could trade the pick to accumulate a treasure trove of draft choices to rebuild their roster. Rodgers could be a massive improvement over Will Levis after still showing he can play like a top-10 quarterback in his 40s in 2024. Levis produced the highest percentage of plays (16.3%) with a sack, fumble or interception since former Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell (17.8%) in 2009, per CBS Sports Research, this past season.2009 JaMarcus Russell (OAK)17.8%2024 Will Levis (TEN)16.3%2014 Josh McCown (TB)15.5%2022 Justin Fields (CHI)15.4%Rodgers’ presence could help make good on the offseason spending spree the Titans went on a year ago in which they brought in wide receiver Calvin Ridley, running back Tony Pollard, center Lloyd Cushenberry and cornerback L’Jarius Sneed. In an AFC South that is one of the softer divisions in the NFL, Rodgers could still thrive. The Las Vegas Raiders have many resources at their disposal. They have the second-most effective cap space in the NFL ($85.777 million, per OverTheCap.com) and the sixth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. However, they don’t have a quarterback as well as an easy path to acquire one via the draft thanks to a thin, top-heavy QB class. Enter Rodgers. Super Bowl-winning head coach Pete Carroll is someone who Rodgers would respect, ditto for part owner Tom Brady. Going to Las Vegas would allow him to play closer to home in California, and he could throw to tight end Brock Bowers, who caught the most passes by a rookie in NFL history with 112 receptions in 2024. A respected regime, a legit No. 1 option in the passing game and no state income taxes while being close to home could lead to the Raiders reeling in Rodgers. © 2004-2025 CBS Interactive. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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