3 Aaron Rodgers backup plans the Jets should use to force him out in 2025

In painfully predictable fashion, the Aaron Rodgers experiment has failed for the New York Jets. Last week's 31-6 loss to the Arizona Cardinals was utterly deflating, and it sure felt like the final nail in the coffin. There are still seven games left on the schedule, but the postseason is out of reach for this Jets squad. Moreover, the future feels exceedingly bleak.

The Jets poured countless resources into maximizing this razor-thin window with Rodgers and it has blown up in their faces. The Jets are old, expensive, and not very good, made all the more untenable by historically bad management and a potential power vacuum created by their owner's impending presidential cabinet nomination.

It's hard to feel optimistic about the Jets, but it's clear that Rodgers needs to be a thing of the past as soon as possible. Just puttering around the NFL basement with a 41-year-old quarterback next season gets New York nowhere. Rodgers carries a non-guaranteed cap hit of $23.5 million in 2025, so the Jets have all the freedom necessary to move on. At the very least, the Jets can maneuver to land his replacement. We know how much Rodgers, um, loved mentoring Jordan Love in Green Bay.

Here are a few viable replacement candidates to get in the building next summer.

3. Justin Fields would give the Jets untapped potential at the QB position

Maybe the Jets should just re-sign Zach Wilson. Okay, fine, we'll go with a more palatable former first-round pick in Justin Fields, who captained the Pittsburgh Steelers to a 4-2 record this season before Mike Tomlin forked the job over to Russell Wilson. Fields sure looked the part in Pittsburgh, despite limited talent in his orbit.

Before his demotion, Fields posted a career-best 66.3 completion percentage to go along with five touchdowns and just one interception. He is not the most explosive quarterback, but Fields can efficiently move the chains and extend plays with his legs, an increasingly valued skill at the quarterback position these days. Whether it's out of designed runs, or simply improvising under duress, Fields can put a lot of stress on a defense with his ability to scramble.

The Jets have a passable offensive line and ample WR talent in place. Fields would benefit from the Garrett Wilson security blanket, not to mention a hypothetically balanced offensive attack that leans heavily on Breece Hall in the backfield. The future of the Jets offense is unclear. Nathaniel Hackett isn't calling plays anymore, so his job is likely kaput once the season ends. If Fields is the future at quarterback, New York would be wise to bring in a new coach (or at least a coordinator) who embraces dual-threat skill sets at the position.

At just 25 years old, Fields should have plenty left to give in the NFL. He's still getting better, and this season was proof that he can thrive with the right infrastructure around him.

2. Jets can crawl back to Sam Darnold as logical successor to Aaron Rodgers

Remember when the Jets made Sam Darnold the No. 3 overall pick in 2018, then promptly undermined him by drafting Zach Wilson, who they promptly undermined by — well, you get the picture. Darnold's first stint in New York went poorly and he's unlikely to think very highly of the organization.

That said, money talks, and Darnold is probably the best upcoming free agent at the QB position. He has done serious image rehab with the Minnesota Vikings this season, filling Kirk Cousins' shoes with aplomb and guiding the Vikings to a 7-2 record. It hasn't been completely seamless — back-to-back multi-interception games have fans squeamish — but Darnold has looked overwhelmingly comfortable in the Kevin O'Connell offense.

A disciple of the Shanahan-McVay tree, Darnold can clearly execute a quality scheme. The Jets will be looking for new play-callers this offseason and would be smart to pull from a coaching tree with so many healthy, thriving branches. Perhaps that leads them back to Darnold, whose late-career revival could take on a poetic quality in New York. What if Darnold is the man to lead the Jets back to respectability after all these years? It's a nice thought.

This does feel particularly likely, but Darnold is 27 years old with plenty of quality football in front of him. If the Jets aren't convinced by a weak quarterback draft, there's no shame in rolling the dice on a former top pick with connections in the organization.

1. Shedeur Sanders would certainly bring pomp and circumstance to Jets

The Jets don't really need another distraction in the quarterback room, but come on? We'd all like to see Shedeur Sanders and Aaron Rodgers on the same team. The quotes would be crackling. The Deion Sanders media campaign would be transcendent. This is how you replace Rodgers, by drafting the best quarterback available.

For all the noise around him at Colorado, Sanders has separated himself as the clear best prospect in a weak QB class. He's not perfect by any stretch, but in terms of arm talent and processing speed, there just isn't anyone who stacks up to the Buffaloes senior. He can deliver challenging throws into traffic, he stands tall under constant pressure in the pocket, and there's no harm in NFL pedigree. He's the son of a Hall of Fame player. It almost feels predestined for Sanders to excel at the next level.

The Jets aren't exactly the best organization for rookie quarterbacks, at least not historically, but Sanders could break the mold. He'd certainly get the ball rolling toward Rodgers' exodus, which is the real goal here. If New York is comfortable axing Rodgers in favor of a flashy rookie like Sanders, that's a win on its own. If it ends up as a training camp battle, Sanders has the live arm and arrogance necessary to light a fire under Rodgers.

New York wasn't supposed to be in range to draft Sanders, but that is precisely where the Jets are going to end up next April. If Sanders is on the board, can the Jets possibly resist the obvious candidate to replace Aaron Rodgers?