NY Jets should target Kirk Cousins as a viable Aaron Rodgers replacement

The NY Jets will have a decision to make regarding the future of Aaron Rodgers in the coming months. Rodgers has a chance to make one final impression over the last three weeks as he hopes to convince the Jets to keep him around.

The Rodgers decision is a complex one, and it likely will come down to more than just on-field performance. Finances will play a large role in determining what route the Jets take with their quarterback position in 2025.

If the Jets were to move on from Rodgers this offseason, one new name has emerged as a potential replacement. That player is Kirk Cousins, who was officially benched this week by the Atlanta Falcons.

The expectation is that the Falcons will move on from Cousins in the offseason as they usher in the Michael Penix Jr. era. There's a scenario in which Cousins actually makes sense for the Jets. Hear me out.

Why Kirk Cousins actually could make sense for the NY Jets

Let's start with Rodgers and his contract situation. If the Jets opt to keep Rodgers in 2025, he will carry a cap hit of just $23.5 million, which is very reasonable. But the financial ramifications extend well beyond next season.

Rodgers has a $35 million option bonus that triggers if he's on the Jets' roster come Week 1 along with a $2.5 million base salary. That option bonus is prorated over the remainder of Rodgers' contract, which includes void years through 2029.

Unfortunately, since every year after 2025 is a void year, that means the Jets would incur a massive dead cap hit in 2026. That cap hit is $63 million, significantly higher than the $49 million if they were to move on this offseason.

The Jets would have the option of taking the full cap hit of $63 million in 2026 or designating him as a post-June 1st cut and spreading it out between 2026 and 2027 ($21 million in 2026 and $42 million in 2027).

It's likely the next Jets regime will not be very interested in pushing significant dead money into 2027. Doing so would severely hinder the team's chances of building a competitive roster in 2026 and 2027 and limit the flexibility of the new regime.

This is why moving on from Rodgers this offseason remains the most logical choice. They have the option of absorbing the full $49 million dead cap hit in 2025 or splitting it between 2025 ($14 million) and 2026 ($35 million). There's a good chance the new regime would choose the former.

That gives the Jets an opportunity to hit the temporary reset button in 2025 and shift their attention to competing in 2026 and beyond. Unless you're of the opinion that a Rodgers-led Jets team can legitimately compete for a Super Bowl next season, this would be their best option.

If the Jets do move on from Rodgers, they will need to sell the fanbase — and more importantly the locker room — on a new quarterback. Unfortunately, the Jets' Week 15 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars likely takes them out of the running for the top two QBs, Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders, in this year's draft.

Penn State's Drew Allar has opted to return to school for another year, leaving Alabama's Jalen Milroe as the only realistic remaining quarterback target with a chance to go in the top 10. Milroe could be an option for the Jets, but there will be other teams interested.

Sam Darnold is likely out of the Jets' price range. If the team doesn't want to go with a younger option like Justin Fields, Cousins makes the most sense as a veteran bridge starter.

Cousins’ appeal largely lies in the financial implications. The former Minnesota Vikings quarterback will still be receiving a hefty sum of money from the Falcons next year. It's possible he'd be willing to sign with a new team on a minimum contract if given an opportunity to start.

That's the exact scenario the Pittsburgh Steelers employed with Russell Wilson this past offseason, and that's worked out for them to this point. Cousins and the Jets could follow that same blueprint.

Cousins has had his ups and downs this season and is objectively a worse quarterback at this stage than Rodgers. He leads the NFL in interceptions with 16 and his inconsistencies are why the Falcons chose to bench him in favor of Penix.

But again, there isn't a realistic quarterback candidate for the Jets that could win this team 10+ wins next season. Unless, of course, you believe Rodgers can be that guy. I have my reservations.

Rodgers hasn't put together a healthy above-average season since 2021. Why should anyone expect him to suddenly turn back the clock and stay healthy in 2025? Is it possible? Sure, of course. But it's not the likely outcome.

Cousins gives the Jets a proven starting-caliber quarterback to serve as a bridge starter for a year while the new regime gets settled. It allows the Jets to avoid hamstringing their financial future by sticking with Rodgers for another year.

The question here isn't Rodgers or Cousins. If it were that simple, the Jets would choose Rodgers 10 times out of 10. There's more nuance than that.

The Jets can run it back with Rodgers, likely retain Davante Adams, and hope against the odds that he stays healthy enough (and the roster is good enough) to make a legitimate run at the Super Bowl in the final year of his contract.

That option leaves the new regime in cap hell in 2026 and possibly 2027, essentially delaying a reset — and a genuine chance at competing — two years into the future.

Or the Jets can wipe their hands, start over, and move on from Rodgers, allowing the new regime to maintain financial flexibility. Essentially, the Jets would give themselves a fair chance to compete in 2026 and beyond as opposed to putting all their eggs into their longshot 2025 odds.

It's a tough pill for fans to swallow, but moving on from Rodgers is likely still in the best interest of the organization. And if that's the route the Jets take, Kirk Cousins might just be their best contingency plan.

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