The New York Jets and Woody Johnson believed Aaron Rodgers was the missing piece to win the Super Bowl. That dream was crushed in the fourth play of the 2023 season after an Achilles injury.
However, the star quarterback made an impressive recovery and warned the NFL that 2024 could be the year to take away the AFC East from the Buffalo Bills and maybe deliver a deep playoff run.
As a consequence, many experts aimed even higher. With Rodgers and a great defense, maybe the real target was to claim the conference title over Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. Now, reality is totally different.
Will Aaron Rodgers retire?
Aaron Rodgers already confirmed he plans to play in the 2025 season with the Jets or maybe other team. The big problem is that New York might not want him to stay.
According to shocking reports from The Athletic and ESPN, Woody Jonhson, owner of the team, suggested Robert Saleh to bench Rodgers after a 2-2 record to start the year.
“After falling to 2-2 with a one-point loss to the Denver Broncos, New York Jets owner Woody Johnson called an internal meeting on Sept. 30 with his top football people. In that meeting, Johnson, concerned about the direction of the team, broached the idea of benching quarterback Aaron Rodgers, multiple sources confirmed to ESPN.”
Will Jets keep Aaron Rodgers?
So, if this reports are true, it’s difficult to envision Woody Johnson trying to keep Aaron Rodgers for the 2025 season. It’s important to remember that, just days after that controversial episode, Robert Saleh was fired.
Now, Joe Douglas is also out as general manager of the team and no one knows for sure what the future holds for the franchise. If Johnson wanted the bench for Rodgers, this report and its timing might have sealed the quarterback’s fate.
“The September 30 meeting, reported by ESPN, turned out to be a watershed moment in the season. It created tension in the building, with one source saying at the time that Johnson was ‘out for blood.’ People were stunned when Rodgers’ job status was mentioned.”