NY Jets news: Aaron Rodgers is committed beyond 2023, Ty Johnson released
By Justin Fried
The NY Jets introduced their new quarterback to the football world on Wednesday as Aaron Rodgers took part in his introductory press conference as the newest member of Gang Green.
Rodgers was noncommittal about his plans to play beyond 2023 during the press conference, although he certainly came across as someone who was all in. After the presser, Rodgers made a bit more of a definitive statement.
The four-time NFL MVP told reporters, "This isn’t a one and done in my mind. This is a commitment." Rodgers didn't explicitly state that he plans to play in 2024, but that was absolutely the implication.
Whatever the case, Rodgers is clearly committed to helping the Jets win this season. He seems motivated and refreshed with one goal in mind: winning football games.
Other NY Jets news
Jets release Ty Johnson
The Jets made a surprising roster move on Wednesday, reportedly releasing running back Ty Johnson with a non-football injury designation.
Johnson re-signed with the Jets on a one-year contract last month and figured to return for his fourth year with the team in 2023. The former Detroit Lions running back had become a regular special-teams contributor and a valuable rotational running back.
His release comes as a pretty sizable surprise, given that the team just re-signed him a month ago. It's unclear exactly what happened, but a non-football injury designation typically refers to an injury or illness that's unrelated to football.
Here's to hoping that everything is alright with Johnson and that this is little more than a minor setback. The Jets could now look to target a running back in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Jets create more cap space
The Jets continued the process of creating cap space on Wednesday by restructuring the contract of defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers.
The team converted $4.32 million of Franklin-Myers' base salary into a signing bonus, creating roughly $3.5 million in cap space. The Jets will still be over the cap once Rodgers' new contract is figured out, but this is a step in the right direction.
The Jets currently have a little over $10 million in cap space, but Rodgers' projected cap hit for 2023 is $15.8 million. There's also the fact that the team needs a portion of that cap space to sign their draft picks.
The Jets still have some work to do, but they've continued the process of clearing space for Rodgers and other potential roster moves.