Gang Green Nation
The Jets wanted him to end his McAfee appearances.
Aaron Rodgers seems to be on his way out of town. Jay Glazer reported from the Super Bowl that the Jets intend to move on from the future Hall of Fame quarterback this offseason.
The Athletic provides insight from the recent meeting team decision makers apparently had with Rodgers.
Rodgers flew to New Jersey last week to meet with team leadership, including new head coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey. Heading into the meeting, the Jets were undecided on whether to go forward with Rodgers but were open to the possibility if Rodgers agreed to make adjustments. Among them:
• Rodgers would no longer be permitted to make outside media appearances during the season, including his regular, paid appearances on “The Pat McAfee Show.”
• He would be required to attend all mandatory practices. Last year, Rodgers missed two mandatory minicamp practices due to a previously scheduled vacation trip to Egypt.
Requests of this type point to one thing.
Over the last two years, the Jets have made it clear that Rodgers was the most important person in the organization. He was more important than the head coach. He was more important than the general manager. He was more important than any of the other players. If Rodgers badly wanted the Jets to acquire a player, the team usually did everything within its power to get him. If Rodgers wanted a struggling coach to keep his job (Nathaniel Hackett), the Jets kept him.
As Glenn takes over, he is establishing himself as the most important person in the organization as he should. Things would probably be different if Rodgers had not shown steep signs of decline in 2024. If the team could reasonably expect to make a Super Bowl run in 2025 with Rodgers under center, I am sure Glenn would be more accommodating.
The reality is that Rodgers is near the end of the line. The argument made for his return tends to be that he could be a bridge quarterback. Well, a bridge quarterback doesn’t do weekly headline generating interviews on ESPN. A bridge quarterback doesn’t skip minicamp. Sure, it’s not a big deal if your franchise quarterback does these things. But a bridge quarterback is there to help guide the team into the future. The role doesn’t come with the same trappings as the franchise quarterback role.
I can’t blame Rodgers for rejecting these requests. It’s a difficult dynamic when a team spends two years catering to your every wish and then suddenly has asks this deep. It is a sign that the end to this relationship is probably in everybody’s best interest.
