Early in the 2023 offseason, it was reported that the Green Bay Packers planned to move on from four-time NFL MVP and future Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Ever since they selected Jordan Love in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, everyone, including Rodgers, knew that his days with the Packers were numbered. However, moving on from a legend is never easy, as fans knew previously from when Green Bay moved on from Brett Favre in favor of Rodgers in 2008.

By now, just about every Packers fan knows the story. Rodgers refused to answer calls from general manager Brian Gutekunst and then went on his multi-day darkness retreat. When he emerged from the darkness, he discovered multiple messages and news stories that Green Bay was looking to trade him.

Later, Rodgers admitted that when he went into the darkness, he was 90% convinced that he was going to retire. However, wanting to go out on his terms, a fire was lit under him to keep on playing.

As a result, the Packers traded him to the New York Jets.

Former Green Bay Packers Quarterback Aaron Rodgers Had a Dismal Run with the New York Jets

Rodgers’ arrival in New York was met with great celebration by Jets fans, and dismay by some Packers fans. Many believed the four-time NFL MVP was the missing piece New York needed to elevate their team to the level of Super Bowl contenders. Unlike his last few years in Green Bay, Rodgers was present for voluntary workouts and all offseason activities.

It appeared that this new team had revitalized the aged quarterback and that the Jets were primed for a special season. And they very well could have been. Unfortunately, though, the world will never know what that 2023 team was fully capable of.

Rodgers tore his Achilles just four snaps into New York’s Week One game and was lost for the season. The Jets finished 7-10 for the second consecutive season, but were hopeful that the return of a healthy former NFL MVP in 2024 would be their saving grace.

It wasn’t.

Rodgers and the Jets went 5-12 this season, a year filled with drama, inconsistencies, and a massive turnover among team leadership. Head coach Robert Saleh was fired, as was general manager Joe Douglas. Rodgers did not have a terrible statistical season, per say, but his 63.0% completion percentage, 3,897 passing yards, 28 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, and 90.5 passer rating were all among his career-lows.

Once again, questions concerning his future with a team surfaced, questions that were answered rather quickly.

Former Green Bay Packers Quarterback Wanted to Remain with the New York Jets

New general manager Darren Mougey and head coach Aaron Glenn want a different kind of culture in New York. During the 2024 offseason, Rodgers skipped mandatory mini camp in order to take a trip to Egypt. He reportedly had a falling out with team owner Woody Johnson and also continued to do his weekly appearances on the Pat McAfee Show.

All of these things were, apparently, viewed as distractions by the new regime, and, along with his age and decline in performance, were enough for them to decide to move on from him.

Per a report by the New York Post, Rodgers did not want his time with the Jets to end like that: “Concerned that his career could end with a whimper, Rodgers, 41, aggressively urged the Jets to stick with him for another season or two over the course of multiple conversations last week, a well-placed source told The Post.”

They then wrote that, “When the Jets decided to move on anyway, Rodgers accepted his fate ‘like a man going to the gallows,’ the source said, and slipped into the darkness for a few days.”

Whether or not this report is true, it certainly does not paint a pleasant picture of the future Pro Football Hall of Famer, whom the New York media has made the scapegoat for many of the Jets’ failings.

It certainly does not seem like the kind of ending any professional athlete wants for their career, especially one as accomplished as Rodgers.

While it would appear that he was ready, willing, and able to play in New York in 2025, it is not yet known if he wants to play elsewhere or retire.

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