If Aaron Rodgers chooses to run it back in 2025, he wants it to be with the Jets.
The eventual Hall of Fame quarterback touched upon his future Tuesday during his weekly appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” stating, “I don’t even know if I want to play yet, but New York would be my first option.”
The Jets are 3-8 in Rodgers’ second season with the team.
“When you’re 40 going on 41, you’re obviously at the end of your career so, obviously if it’s New York, they have to want me to be here, and then new GM, new staff, all have to want me to be with the Jets. And then body-wise, got to see how I’m feeling, and if I want to sign up to go back to the grind,” he said.
The chatter surrounding Rodgers’ health was amplified over the weekend when NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that the 10-time Pro Bowler “has resisted getting scans done, not wanting to reveal the severity of his injuries out of fear of having to come off the field.”
Rodgers, who has battled ankle, hamstring and knee injuries throughout the season, said Tuesday he has a “great” rapport with the team’s medical personnel.
“When it comes to scans, first of all, played 20 years I know my body better than anybody. Second of all, I have a great relationship with the doctors on staff, and we had a lot of great conversations where they diagnosed what I was dealing with and I told them how I was feeling, and we talked about the possibilities of playing and rehabbing and what that would take and there was no mandate ever, ‘You got to get this scan,’ and then was like, ‘I ain’t ‘f–king getting this scan,’ it was, ‘listen, how do you feel?’ I told them I know my body well, what do you see in your diagnosis, OK, what are the risks of playing, what are the likelihood of playing, what treatment do I got to do to get back, and that was that,” Rodgers said.
“There wasn’t any weirdness around it, normal conversations.”
Rodgers said he feels good after the Jets’ bye week.
Tuesday’s appearance comes on the heels of a dizzying month for the Jets that included the firing of general manager Joe Douglas and speculation about Rodgers’ playing future.
The Super Bowl-winning quarterback, who turns 41 next week, expressed interest in playing next year, stating earlier this month, “I think so, yeah.”
A recent report from The Athletic suggested Rodgers wanted to move on from Gang Green in 2025, something the quarterback disputed Tuesday.
“If I can stay healthy the rest of the year and play the way I want to play and everybody feels good about bringing me back then there’s a decision there,” he said. “… At this point, I’m open to everything and attached to nothing, so, it’s a good place to be.”
The Jets are not only in the market for a new GM but a new head coach following Robert Saleh’s firing in October after a 2-3 start.
Rodgers arrived in New York to much fanfare in April 2023, with long-suffering Jets supporters daydreaming of Super Bowl aspirations.
The bubble burst just four plays into the team’s season-opener in September 2023, when Rodgers suffered a season-ending Achilles injury.
Although the Jets’ playoff fantasies were revitalized in 2024 with Rodgers at the helm, the team has continuously underachieved despite a talented roster that now boasts the quarterback’s longtime friend, star wideout Davante Adams.
The Jets have six games remaining in the regular season, including Sunday’s against a surging 6-5 Seahawks team.
Rodgers has completed 63.4 percent of his passes this season while throwing 17 touchdowns against seven interceptions.