Make no mistake—Aaron Rodgers is a future Hall of Famer by the time he retires from gridiron duties. From his four NFL MVPs to a Super Bowl with the Packers, Rodgers already has a place cemented among the NFL’s greatest QBs. However, down the line, his time with the New York Jets will probably be looked at as a failed chapter in Rodgers’ glittering NFL career. So, with the news of the Jets moving on from Rodgers coming to light. It’s time to look back on his contract, which somewhat pushed the Jets to give up on Rodgers.

See, Rodgers was signed to a 3-year deal that had a total valuation of $112.5M. At that time, it looked like a bargain for the Jets, who were trying to come out of years of mediocrity. Now, to sweeten things up for the veteran signal-caller. Rodgers’ contract also had a $37.5 AAV with a guaranteed $75M. But neither of those numbers actually matched the productions Rodgers gave in his two years with Gang Green. Only starting 18 games, Rodgers led the Jets to just six victories. He never really got going from his ACL tear, ranking just 25th in QBR (48).

So, of course, the Jets had no other option but to pull the plug on the Aaron Rodgers failed experiment. Rodgers was expected to earn a non-guaranteed $37.5M in 2025. If the Jets did carry on with their veteran QB, he would have counted a $23.5M hit on the cap. But it seems the Jets were happy to take a $49M hit instead. Here, the only positive is that they won’t have to pay everything at once. Giving him a post-June 1 cut would spread that $49M hit over the next two years.

Well, to make things a bit easier for you to understand. The Jets will still carry that $23.5M cap hit till June 1st. Then, prior to Rodgers’ release, it will siphon down to $14M. This means the Jets have somehow scrambled to save $9.5M from Rodgers’ exit. Now, some of you might have wondered, what if he had retired? Retirement wouldn’t have changed anything. That same accounting would have been applicable, so there’s that. With Rodgers moving on from New York, let’s look back at the reactions of the Jets’ front office today.

Jets’ new regime under Woody Johnson shares their take on Rodgers’ exit

Stepping foot for the first time in East Rutherford, Rodgers quickly embraced the idea of playing with Gang Green. “There’s something special about playing in the city, for a team like this with a storied franchise. Going way, way back to Super Bowl III, to be a part of something special would definitely help you go down in the history of our organization. Already have 18 years in an incredibly iconic organization, and it would be fun to be a part of the history of this one, as well.” At that time, excitement hit the roof with Rodgers becoming a New York Jet. However, within four snaps of his new chapter, everything changed. An ACL tear sidelined him for the rest of his first season. And by the time he came back, Rodgers never looked like the player he was in Green Bay.

Yeah, he played all 17 games, but the 41-year-old only threw 3,897 passing yards, 28 TDs and 11 INTs. So, clearly, he didn’t have that dawg in him to lead a franchise out of its trenches. Maybe that’s why the Jets’ new regime announced on Thursday afternoon, “Last week, we met with Aaron and shared that our intention was to move in a different direction at quarterback.” 

With the Jets having a 7th overall pick in this year’s draft, they may pick a new face out of college. But whatever they do, Woody Johnson didn’t forget to give R0dgers flowers on his exit from Florham Park, “I personally want to thank Aaron for his time at the New York Jets…He will always be welcome, and I wish him only the best in whatever he chooses to do next.” There’s no doubt Rodgers is counting his last days on the gridiron. But is this the end of Rodgers’ storied chapter in the NFL? Probably yes. Considering how the franchises are lined up in their QB room. No one will probably try their hands upon Rodgers after what he couldn’t do as a Jet.