Earlier this offseason, the New York Jets made the bold decision to cut veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers and his top wide receiver target Davante Adams. This duo was the key to a large piece of the Jets' offense in 2024, but that's not really saying too much. The decision to move on from Rodgers was a bold one, but it seems to be what was best for the Jets.
Shortly after releasing Rodgers, the Jets stole free agent quarterback Justin Fields from the Pittsburgh Steelers on the open market. Fields is headed to the Big Apple to pair up alongside his former college teammate Garrett Wilson. It seems as though Fields is happy with the Jets and that the Jets are happy with him.
But that leaves Rodgers without a home and not much of a market. At one point during the season, Rodgers had the Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants, and Steelers going after him. Beyond these three teams, Rodgers has the option to retire, which is something that he seems to be threatening as time goes on.
The Vikings seemingly dropped out of the race to bring in Rodgers as they look to turn their franchise over to J.J. McCarthy. Minnesota was seemingly Rodgers' top landing place, but they're no longer an option. The Giants also seemingly dropped out after signing Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston. New York still holds the No. 3 pick in the NFL Draft, too.
That leaves Rodgers with two options: the Steelers or retirement.
Aaron Rodgers' threat to retire seems like a money ploy over anything else
Recently, it seems as though Rodgers could be leaning toward retirement. While this seems like a realistic option, one NFL executive recently told The Athletic that they believe the talk about retirement is just a money ploy for Rodgers.
The idea that this is a money ploy makes perfect sense. If Rodgers was actually going to retire, he would have done it months ago. Holding out for this long just to retire wouldn't do him any good, but it does give him a bit of negotiating leverage.
If the Steelers are Rodgers' only suitor, there's nothing stopping them from lowballing their offer and forcing him to sign it if he still wants to play. But if the threat of retirement is on the table, the Steelers would need to give him enough money to keep him from following through with his word.