Aaron Rodgers makes case for NY Jets future with statement Week 15 performance

The NY Jets will have an important decision to make on quarterback Aaron Rodgers this offseason. If reports are to be believed, the Jets — read: Woody Johnson — have already made up their minds.

The Jets are expected to move on from Rodgers in the near future, and if those same reports are accurate, the feeling appears to be mutual. But there's always time for plans to change.

Rodgers did his best to change those plans in the Jets' Week 15 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. The four-time MVP completed 16-of-30 passes for 289 yards and three touchdowns while leading the Jets in rushing with 45 yards on the ground.

Rodgers turned back the clock and rediscovered his connection with Davante Adams. Adams finished the game with nine catches for 198 yards and two touchdowns, putting together one of the best single-game wide receiver performances in franchise history.

If this is the version of Rodgers and Adams the Jets are getting, they might be forced to reconsider their 2025 plans.

Aaron Rodgers trying to force his way into NY Jets plans in 2025

Rodgers and the Jets have had their struggles this season. The team has regularly failed to close out games in the fourth quarter, and Rodgers' late-game struggles have been part of the issue.

The future Hall of Famer has had half a dozen opportunities to win the game for his team in the final minutes only to fall short in embarrassing fashion time and time again. The version of Rodgers we saw on Sunday is also not the Rodgers we've seen most of the year.

Rodgers entered Sunday's game ranked 33rd in completion percentage over expected and 22nd in average EPA. While his box score numbers might look pretty, Rodgers has left a lot of meat on the bone in 2024.

Of course, context is important. Rodgers has been forced to play through numerous injuries this season, including an ankle sprain, an MCL sprain, and a partial hamstring tear. It's not a surprise that he's started to look better at a time when he's the healthiest he's been in weeks.

The Jets could release Rodgers and designate him as a post-June 1st cut, saving $9.5 million in 2025 and a whopping $49 million in 2025. It's an option the team has been seriously considering, but it's possible Rodgers' late-season surge could change some minds.

If Woody Johnson is moved by Rodgers' Week 15 performance — and sees a possibility to sell more tickets in 2025 — it's still possible the Jets could run it back next season. Rodgers definitely did well to help his case this Sunday.

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