Whereas talking with reporters on Wednesday, Aaron Rodgers seemed like a quarterback who is aware of this Sunday’s house sport in opposition to the 8-8 Miami Dolphins will likely be his final as a member of the New York Jets.
Rodgers additionally hinted he may retire no matter whether or not or not a brand new Jets regime asks him to stay round for one more season.
“I would like a break mentally, and I don’t wish to decide till I’ve been in a position to relaxation mentally and bodily,” Rodgers defined, as shared by Zack Rosenblatt and Cale Clinton of The Athletic. “As a result of actually since Sept. 11 [2023], it looks like I’ve been rehabbing and coaching simply to get to have the ability to play in coaching camp, after which clearly had the nerves of enjoying the primary few video games and type of simply getting banged up, simply making an attempt to get again on the sphere for a lot of weeks till the final three or 4 the place I felt actually good. So I simply want a break mentally to only type of refresh, put my ft within the sand and see the place I’m at after that.”
Rodgers primarily missed your complete 2023 season, his first with the Jets, resulting from a torn Achilles he suffered early into the marketing campaign’s Week 1 sport. Extra lately, the longer term Corridor of Famer, who turned 41 years outdated in December, was slowed this season by ankle, knee and hamstring accidents. He additionally routinely left a lot to be desired together with his play main as much as being benched on this previous Sunday’s 40-14 blowout loss to the Buffalo Payments that dropped the Jets to 4-12.
Per Pro Football Reference, Rodgers ranks twenty fifth within the NFL with a 48.3 adjusted QBR and twenty fourth with a 43.8% passing success rate on the season. In the meantime, ESPN stats present that the Jets head into Week 18 ranked twenty fourth within the league with a median of 19.1 factors scored per sport.
A report from earlier this week claimed that the Jets “are anticipated to maneuver on from” Rodgers after the season, partly as a result of his relationship with workforce proprietor Woody Johnson is allegedly “irreparable.” Johnson fired Jets head coach Robert Saleh in October and normal supervisor Joe Douglas in November. Logic suggests new management will wish to transfer ahead with its personal chosen quarterback.
Based on Andy Vasquez of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, Rodgers insisted on Wednesday his time with the Jets has “been the very best two years of my life” regardless of the setbacks he has endured since September 2023. He additionally talked about he is “resigned to the fact of the state of affairs” that change is coming to the group.
Russ Weakland and Oliver Salt of the Each day Mail reported that Rodgers may look to hitch the Cleveland Browns, Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee Titans or Las Vegas Raiders if he is proven the door by the Jets. Nevertheless, a minimum of one unnamed general manager believes Rodgers may wrestle to discover a new NFL house contemplating his age, harm historical past and latest lackluster play.
“This sport has given me loads,” Rodgers added on Wednesday. “And I’ve given loads again to it. And I’m grateful for it.”