Aaron Rodgers provides major update on his NY Jets plans for 2025

The NY Jets have six weeks to determine their plans with Aaron Rodgers and the future of their organization in 2025 and beyond. It's a decision that some believed Rodgers had already made for him, but the four-time MVP appeared to deny those claims on Tuesday.

Rodgers made his regularly scheduled weekly appearance on The Pat McAfee Show and denied rumors that he was no longer interested in playing for the Jets next season.

Rodgers told McAfee that he hasn't decided if he wants to play in 2025 at this time, but if he does play, his "first choice" will be the Jets. This contradicts last week's report from The Athletic which stated that Rodgers wants to play in 2025, but just not for the Jets.

The future Hall of Fame quarterback noted that his decision will be based on a number of factors, most notably his health and whether the new regime actually wants him back. But as of now, he maintains that the Jets are his top option if he returns to play next year.

Aaron Rodgers wants to play for the NY Jets in 2025

Last week's report made it seem as though Rodgers' departure from the Jets was a foregone conclusion. There was even talk about shutting Rodgers down for the season or even releasing him in the most extreme scenarios.

And while some of that may be true, Rodgers is at least publicly insisting he wants to play for the Jets next season. Unfortunately for Rodgers, he may not have a choice.

Reports from multiple sources indicate the Jets do not intend to run it back with Rodgers in 2025. Barring an extreme late-season turnaround, the Jets are expected to move forward with a new head coach, new general manager, and new quarterback next season.

The Jets would be forced to eat a significant amount of dead cap to move on from Rodgers. Designating him as a post-June 1st cut would incur a dead cap penalty of $14 million in 2025 and a whopping $36 million in 2026.

Unfortunately, that's the reality the Jets find themselves in. They either force an over-the-hill Rodgers on the next regime, limiting their potential options, or they bite the bullet and move on this offseason. That's if we're taking Rodgers at face value here and just assuming he actually wants to play for the Jets.

Rodgers continues to deny every new report that comes out about him, but the truth of the matter is that it's hard to envision a scenario in which he's on the Jets' roster in 2025. Even if he wants to return, it ultimately won't be up to him.

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