Aaron Rodgers’ stint with the New York Jets might nonetheless prolong past this season – regardless of loads of losses and disappointments.
The star quarterback, who’ll flip 41 on 2 December, beforehand mentioned he’d prefer to play a number of extra years. And he insisted Wednesday that the Jets’ 3-7 begin throughout a tumultuous season has not modified that stance.
“Not likely,” Rodgers mentioned within the locker room after follow. “Not for the adverse, no. Not likely.”
Rodgers was then requested by a reporter if he nonetheless desires to play subsequent yr.
“I believe so, yeah,” the four-time NFL MVP mentioned whereas nodding.
Rodgers’ future past this season has come into query in current weeks, significantly due to his mediocre play in the course of the worst begin of his 20-year profession.
He has one yr left on his contract that features $2.5m in non-guaranteed base wage with $21m in bonuses. He would depend $23.5m in opposition to the wage cap subsequent season. But when the Jets minimize Rodgers earlier than 1 June subsequent yr, they’d incur a $49m lifeless cash cost; it will be $14m after 1 June.
He bought off to a sluggish begin in his return from a torn left achilles tendon that sidelined him for all however 4 snaps final season. Rodgers confirmed some flashes of the participant he was in his prime, together with in victories over New England in Week 3 and Houston in Week 9, however he adopted that efficiency in opposition to the Texans with a dud in a 31-6 loss to Arizona. He was 22 of 35 for simply 151 yards, finishing only one cross via the air of 10 yards or longer.
Rodgers has additionally handled ankle, knee and hamstring points which have visibly sapped him of a number of the mobility that helped make him such a menace as a younger quarterback.
“I imply, I’m not taking part in in addition to I want to play, for positive,” he mentioned. “The wonder on this sport is it’s a staff sport. The irritating half is that if you happen to’re a terrific competitor, you maintain your self to a normal and it’s not unrealistic.
“And I haven’t reached that commonplace this yr.”
When Rodgers was traded to the Jets in April 2023, Tremendous Bowl aspirations – and expectations – adopted. His damage within the season opener ended these hopes final yr, however the optimism was again throughout this previous offseason and coaching camp.
A 2-3 begin bought Robert Saleh fired by proprietor Woody Johnson and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich took over on an interim foundation. Offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, Rodgers’ buddy from their days collectively in Inexperienced Bay, was demoted as the first play caller with passing sport coordinator Todd Downing assuming these duties. The Jets additionally traded final month for broad receiver Davante Adams, who was Rodgers’ teammate for eight seasons with the Packers.
Nonetheless, the staff has struggled, going 1-4 underneath Ulbrich heading into its sport Sunday in opposition to Indianapolis. The “spark” Johnson believed can be attributable to firing Saleh has not translated into higher play on the sphere.
“I believe that you simply’re it in strictly binary wins and losses phrases,” Rodgers mentioned. “What Brick’s carried out, the way in which that we follow, I really feel like there was nice adjustments. I really feel like he’s carried out some actually good issues. I believe Brick is an NFL head coach, whether or not it’s right here transferring ahead or down the road. I imply, he’s a frontrunner of males and I’ll stand by him.
“I’d like to play for him till the top. So I’ve loads of love and respect for him.”
Rodgers reiterated Saleh’s firing was robust for everybody “as a result of all of us love Robert,” nevertheless it was not the gamers’ choice. And Rodgers thinks everybody has dealt with the adversity effectively.
“And Brick’s carried out a extremely good job of looking for methods to encourage the fellows to maintain them collectively,” he mentioned. “As a result of this might have gone south, and I’m not simply speaking about wins and losses – from a persona, cohesion, commonplace so far as guys simply form of splintering and breaking off.”
Rodgers preached “hope” to Jets followers and mentioned something might occur over the ultimate seven video games.
Nonetheless, he acknowledged he hasn’t been the dynamic playmaker the Jets hoped he’d be.
“Well being clearly has been an enormous problem for me,” Rodgers mentioned when requested to evaluate what the hardest points have been since coming to New York. “The opposite elements, there’s intangible issues, for positive. There’s guys that you simply get to know that you simply don’t know. You realize, you haven’t been round. There’s clearly (the) system, making an attempt to get on the identical web page. And there’s personalities that you simply’ve bought to get to know. You study you may push sure guys and also you’ve bought to pat sure guys. That’s a part of the method.
“It’s been truly a extremely lovely couple of years for me in totality. But it surely’s clearly been irritating with the soccer half.”
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