The New York Jets are officially closing the Aaron Rodgers chapter, with their lone Super Bowl trophy remaining without company.
The team announced Thursday they’re parting ways with the 41-year-old quarterback ahead of next season.
While Rodgers hasn’t revealed his plans about a potential 21st NFL season, the Jets are already charting their course forward under new general manager Darren Mougey and head coach Aaron Glenn.
Rodgers, one of the NFL’s elite quarterbacks with four MVP awards and over 500 regular-season touchdown passes, still has a year left on his contract worth $37.5 million, though it’s not guaranteed.
According to Ari Meirov, the Jets will take on a hefty $49 million in dead money by releasing Rodgers—a significant financial hit for the organization.
The #Jets will take on $49M in dead money by moving on from Aaron Rodgers. https://t.co/NyrbZigsjp
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) February 13, 2025
The Jets’ strategy appears to involve designating Rodgers as a post-June 1 release, though they’ll need to keep him on their roster until March 12th.
This approach allows them to split his $49 million cap charge across two years—$14 million in 2025 and $35 million in 2026.
His current $23.5 million cap hit stays on the books until June 2, after which it reduces to $14 million, freeing up $9.5 million in cap space.
Notably, Rodgers won’t have to wait for the official release date to explore his options—he can start talking with teams immediately and sign elsewhere starting March 13th.
The team could have released Rodgers right away, but that would’ve meant shouldering the entire $49 million cap hit in a single season—a daunting financial burden.
A trade would’ve had similar financial implications, making it an unlikely path forward. Now, as the dust settles on this decision, the spotlight turns to Rodgers’ next move.
The veteran quarterback hasn’t made any commitments yet, indicating at season’s end that he needed time to contemplate his future in the league.
NEXT: Details Emerge About Why Jets Moved On from Aaron Rodgers
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