Aaron Rodgers and 4 other former NY Jets still looking for new jobs

The New York Jets' roster has undergone significant turnover in the first offseason under new head coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey. The new regime has parted ways with a number of key holdovers from the last regime, ushering in the start of a new era in Florham Park.

Many of the Jets' departing players have already found new homes. Davante Adams signed with the Los Angeles Rams before free agency even began. D.J. Reed is headed to Detroit. Javon Kinlaw signed a shockingly massive deal with the Washington Commanders.

Even more low-profile players like Brandin Echols (Steelers), Ashtyn Davis (Dolphins), and Wes Schewitzer (Patriots) have all signed with new teams ahead of the start of the 2025 season.

Not every former Jets player has landed with a new team, however. Let's take a look at five ex-Jets still searching for a landing spot, starting with the most obvious.

Former NY Jets players who remain free agents

1. Aaron Rodgers

The Aaron Rodgers wait continues. The Jets made the decision to part ways with Rodgers earlier this offseason following a disappointing two-year stint that saw him win just five games (technically six) as the team's starting quarterback.

The organization has moved forward with Justin Fields as their starting quarterback while Rodgers continues to weigh his options. That said, those options have dwindled.

The Seattle Seahawks found their QB in Sam Darnold. The New York Giants added two quarterbacks in free agency, neither of whom is Rodgers. The Minnesota Vikings don't appear to have much interest in the four-time MVP at this time.

If Rodgers wants to play football in 2025 — which also remains up in the air — the Pittsburgh Steelers feel like his obvious landing spot. But until Rodgers makes up his mind, the Steelers will continue to wait.

2. C.J. Mosley

C.J. Mosley's six-year Jets career came to an end last month when the team predictably opted to designate him as a post-June 1 cut, absorbing cap hits of $8.8 million this year and $7.7 million in 2026.

The move was an expected one after Mosley missed all but four games in 2024 due to toe and neck injuries. Former fifth-round pick Jamien Sherwood stepped into his role in the starting lineup and put together a breakout year, culminating in a big-money three-year, $45 million extension this offseason.

At 32 years old (he turns 33 in June), Mosley may decide to call it a career given his increasingly long list of injury issues. But if he still wants to continue playing, there should be no shortage of teams interested in his services at the right price.

Mosley's age and injuries make him a difficult player to rely on at this stage of his career, but he would make sense as a one-year veteran flier for a contender looking to add experience and leadership to their defense.

3. Tyron Smith

Speaking of age and injuries, the Tyron Smith signing proved to be one of the worst of former general manager Joe Douglas' final free-agency class. The gamble made sense at the time.

Smith was fresh off another second-team All-Pro campaign with the Dallas Cowboys, and while injuries were always going to be a factor, the belief was that, if healthy, he was still one of the best left tackles in the NFL. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.

Smith struggled as arguably the weakest link of the Jets' offensive line and handed over the reins to rookie Olu Fashanu 10 games into the season following a neck injury. In reality, Fashanu's time was likely coming soon regardless.

Smith hasn't appeared in more than 13 games in a season in literally a decade and is coming off easily his worst year as a pro. He feels like a strong candidate for retirement.

4. Chuck Clark

The Jets were excited to bring Chuck Clark back in 2024 after a torn ACL caused him to miss his entire first season in New York. Clark was expected to provide much-needed experience and toughness to the Jets' safety room.

While Clark was fine, he didn't look like the same player he was in Baltimore. The former Ravens captain finished with a dreadful 45.1 Pro Football Focus grade — the lowest of his career — and an 11.1% missed tackle rate, which was his highest since the season.

The Jets signed Andre Cisco in free agency and re-signed restricted free agent Tony Adams. The team could still consider adding to its safety room, but they could probably do better than re-signing Clark.

His best bet is to find his way onto a safety-needy team before the summer and compete for a roster spot in training camp.

5. Jalen Mills

Jalen Mills was quietly one of the Jets' better pickups last season. The well-traveled defensive back was signed to the Jets' practice squad in September, and within a few weeks, he was already starting for the team at safety.

Mills would appear in nine games, making eight starts, finishing with a respectable 63.4 PFF grade, his best since the 2021 season. He filled in primarily at safety but also saw time at nickel cornerback with Michael Carter II battling injuries.

The Jets don't seem to be in a hurry to bring Mills back, especially after already re-signing a similar versatile defensive back in Isaiah Oliver. But if the team is still searching for secondary depth after the draft, they could do a lot worse than Mills.