5 New York Jets who won’t be back in 2025 if Aaron Rodgers retires

There hasn't been a bigger disappointment for a team of healthy players in the 2024 season than the New York Jets. While the Dallas Cowboys and Cleveland Browns can make an argument, they have dealt with their fair share of injury concerns, while the Jets' only major loss to this point has been Pro Bowl defensive end Jermaine Johnson's Achilles' tear in Week 2.

Despite having optimal health, the Jets are 3-7 and all but buried in the AFC playoff picture despite doing everything they can to salvage their season, including firing head coach Robert Saleh and swinging a big trade for Davante Adams. This season has been one of the worst in Aaron Rodgers' career and despite some hefty guarantees it could inspire him to retire after the year is over instead of tarnishing his legacy further.

If Rodgers does leave, the Jets will look vastly different as owner Woody Johnson (who may be on his way to another political appointment in President-elect Trump's administration), GM Joe Douglas and interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich could all be out of the picture before the start of the 2025 season. Massive changes would also ensue on the roster as these five players would be the likeliest candidates to head out of town alongside their future Hall of Fame quarterback.

5 Jets most likely to leave in 2025 if Aaron Rodgers retires

WR Davante Adams

The trade to bring Adams back to the Jets felt like it was inevitable but the results haven't exactly lit the world on fire. Rodgers and Adams have looked out of sync since Adams arrived prior to Week 7, connecting for 20 passes for 206 yards and a touchdown in four games despite Rodgers targeting him 39 times.

The biggest reason that Adams forced a trade away from the Las Vegas Raiders was to reunite with Rodgers in hopes of pursuing glory with his favorite quarterback. If the Jets have a different quarterback under center, which could potentially be a rookie learning how to navigate NFL defenses, Adams will likely have little interest in helping out and looking for the exit in order to put himself back in a position to chase a Super Bowl ring.

While forgoing a third-round pick for 11 games of Adams would sting, the Jets can clear a significant amount of salary cap space since his contract has no guaranteed money left on it. Simply cutting Adams would save the Jets almost $30 million, which is important in a year where they don't have a ton of salary cap flexibility, but they could also try and facilitate a trade to send Adams somewhere he wants to go.

The odds of recouping that third-round pick appear low but even a fifth-rounder would give the Jets some return on investment with Adams moving on. While losing Adams would make life tough for Garrett Wilson again, keeping an unhappy player in the building would make little sense.

DE Haason Reddick

Perhaps we should have taken Reddick's legacy-damaging holdout this summer as the first sign that things would not go well for the Jets. Seeking a replacement for the departure of Bryce Huff in free agency, Douglas dealt a third-round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles for Reddick, who was seeking a new contract, and proceeded to skip all of training camp and the first seven games of the season seeking said contract.

Reddick has been pretty much a non-factor in his first three games as a Jet, racking up just a half sack and three tackles, so there is little reason for New York to look to extend this marriage. The breakout of second-year defensive end Will McDonald, who leads the team with eight sacks, and the return of Johnson from injury next season make retaining Reddick a luxury this team probably can't afford.

The memory of the holdout also probably won't be too fond for Christopher Johnson, who will take over day-to-day operations if his brother Woody does take a political appointment next year. As such, expect Reddick's time in New York to come to an end after this season.

CB D.J. Reed

One of Douglas' rare free agent success stories has been Reed, who signed a three-year, $27 million contract prior to the 2022 season that has turned out to be a massive bargain. Reed has been overshadowed by the strong play of Sauce Gardner but has quietly established himself as one of the best cornerbacks in football who is set to become a free agent in the spring.

Anyone who has watched the Jets this season knows that Reed has been more productive than Gardner this season and could be a potential Pro Bowler if he adds a few interceptions to his ledger. The market for cornerbacks has exploded since Reed signed his current contract and he will likely command a big raise with plenty of needy teams looking for help on the boundary.

The Jets have already begun preparing for life after Reed with their selection of Quantez Stiggers in the fifth round of the 2024 draft. A cost-effective stopgap could be for the Jets to retain backup Brandin Echols, who has the team's only two interceptions this season, to bridge the gap opposite Gardner while Stiggers develops into a future starter.

While Reed has expressed interest in staying in New York, the market and the Jets' various needs will likely take his next deal out of their preferred price range. It will be a blow to the Jets' defense to see Reed go but if they do start a new rebuild he will likely be out of his prime by the time the team is ready to contend.

LT Tyron Smith

The biggest offseason investment in Rodgers' protection plan was the addition of long-time star left tackle Tyron Smith on a one-year deal that was heavily incentive-laden. The market for Smith, who played at a Pro Bowl level for Dallas last season, never developed and perhaps was an omen of his decline this season.

Despite being available for every game the Jets have played to this point, which is impressive given Smith's injury history, New York has seen a noticeable performance dip from the 33-year-old. Smith has had trouble with speed rushers, who have blown by him with regularity so far, and his role protecting Rodgers' blindside has led to plenty of sacks instead of a brick wall.

The marriage between Jets and Smith was always a one-year plan with the idea that Olu Fashanu, the team's first-round pick in April, is destined to be the team's long-term answer at the position. Fashanu has already been picking up experience across the line due to injuries and he should be ready to slide into Smith's role next season, saving the Jets a lot of money by having a key offensive line position filled on a rookie contract.

WR Allen Lazard

The first member of the New York Packers, Lazard had a rough go of it last season when Rodgers was out, delivering a performance that was among the worst for a wide receiver in the league. The Jets benched Lazard for stretches at the end of 2023 but the return of Rodgers re-energized him as the pair resumed their strong connection from the Green Bay days.

Lazard quickly usurped Mike Williams' role as the Jets' third receiver and was productive early on, racking up 30 catches for 412 yards and five touchdowns in the team's first seven games. The problem here is that Lazard suffered a chest injury that required an IR stint, leaving just Adams and Wilson as trustworthy pass catchers for Rodgers.

Even with the increase in production Lazard is overpaid, with the Jets likely to cut him after the season for a potential $6 million in salary cap savings. That scenario was in play even if Rodgers sticks around so the odds of Lazard playing a third year in New York without the future Hall of Famer are slim to none.