It is unlikely, but could the Jets sit Aaron Rodgers for the final six games of the season?

On Monday morning, the Giants made a quarterback decision and benched Daniel Jones in favor of Tommy DeVito.
It is unlikely, but could the Jets follow suit and sack Aaron Rodgers for the remainder of the season?
The answer isn’t as cut and dry as the Giants’ situation.
Giants general manager Joe Schoen and coach Brian Daboll will label Jones’ benching as a “football decision.” However, Jones is being benched because of a $23 million injury guarantee in his contract for 2025 that becomes fully guaranteed if he gets injured and cannot pass a physical during the offseason.
The Jets aren’t in that position with Rodgers, 40, but it is time to wonder how much longer the four-time NFL MVP might play for the club. After Sunday’s heartbreaking loss to the Colts, the Jets are 3-8 and are inching closer to being mathematically eliminated from playoff contention.
When Rodgers was traded from the Packers to the Jets in April 2023, he mentioned the team’s Super Bowl III trophy looked a little lonely. From there, the Jets went from being bottomfeeders to being expected to compete for a championship.
Last season, an Achilles injury four plays into his debut robbed the Jets of seeing what Rodgers would have looked like. A year later, Rodgers has three wins and is a shell of what he was in Green Bay.
Through 11 games, the Jets offense ranks 26th in yards (294.4) and (18.5) points per game. Rodgers has thrown for 2,442 yards, 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions. However, he ranks 24th in total quarterback rating, sandwiched between Steelers quarterback Justin Fields and Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.
Rodgers was supposed to be the cherry on top of a team with an elite defense and ascending young players like Garrett Wilson, Breece Hall, and Sauce Gardner.
Clearly, the Jets defense has taken a step back and is allowing over 26 points per game since Woody Johnson fired coach Robert Saleh and made defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich interim coach on Oct. 8. With no playoff carrot dangling in front of the Jets during the final six games, it is fair to ask if the Jets and Rodgers can remain motivated the rest of the season?
“I’m in my 20th year,” Rodgers said after the game on Sunday. “I’ve figured out a way to do this for a long time, so just got to remember why you fell in love with this game. This would definitely be a week to clear all of our heads and come back and stick together.”
It is unlikely, but the Jets could shut down Rodgers and start planning for their future at quarterback, which doesn’t appear to include him. Rodgers has zero guaranteed money remaining on his contract that runs through 2025.
With a new coach and general manager likely coming to the Jets facility, they wouldn’t be tied to Rodgers, who turns 41 on Dec. 2. But if the Jets did want to bring back Rodgers for another season, they could opt to sit him to save further wear and tear, and let backup Tyrod Taylor play in the final six games to see what he can do. But Ulbrich’s staff has no incentive to do so because they are unlikely to be there in 2025.
It’s doubtful the Jets would bench Rodgers for several reasons outside of that. One would be Johnson essentially admitting that the Saleh firing was premature, which it was. If the Jets were going to fire Saleh, they should have done it following the 2023 season, in which he recorded his third consecutive losing season.
Another reason the Jets probably wouldn’t bench Rodgers is because he is a good friend of both Woody and Christopher Johnson, and they wouldn’t want to do anything to alienate him.
Last week, Rodgers told reporters he would like to play for the Jets next season, but it is a two-way street. Gang Green has lost seven of their past eight and is one of the worst teams in the NFL. The team is 1-5 since Johnson fired Saleh and replaced him with Ulbrich.
Do the Jets really want to remain married to Rodgers for another year, or would they prefer to cut their losses now and start over?
Rodgers is due $23.5 million in 2025, the final year of the restructured three-year deal he signed last summer. But the Jets could make Rodgers a designated post-June 1 release, saving them $9.5 million against the cap.
The Jets could also take the total cap hit head-on next season and keep Taylor and rookie Jordan Travis next season and essentially punt on 2025 while increasing cap room and maybe obtaining picks for their rebuild.
Whether Rodgers retires or not, the writing is on the wall for significant changes with the Jets next season. It is just a matter of when it happens, not if.