Jets might have alienated one of their best players thanks to Aaron Rodgers decision

The New York Jets decided to move on from Aaron Rodgers, ending a disastrous two-year experience the franchise wishes it never had to endure. The Jets acquired Rodgers hoping he'd be the quarterback savior they had been waiting for, but it simply wasn't meant to be. Rodgers tore his Achilles four plays into his first game as a Jet in 2023, and led the team to a 5-12 record this past season. The Jets, at the very least, hoped Rodgers would help snap their prolonged playoff drought, but he never even got them close to achieving that goal.

Rodgers wasn't awful this past season, but the decision to let him go is far from shocking. Rodgers is 41 years old, looked like a declining quarterback for much of the year, and the Jets have a new regime in town. It makes perfect sense for them to want to start fresh, especially when the team, as constructed, is not a Super Bowl contender with Rodgers in the picture.

Jets fans have mixed feelings with this decision. On one hand, the team is unlikely to get a quarterback better than Rodgers, so keeping him would've been somewhat nice. On the other hand, the Rodgers experience has been a miserable one, and it's better to start fresh with the new regime in place.

While fans are rightly conflicted, at least one Jets player, Quinnen Williams, appears to be very much against the decision to part with Rodgers based on what he posted on X.

Is Quinnen Williams unhappy with Jets' decision to part with Aaron Rodgers?

Williams could be referring to something completely irrelevant to this Rodgers story, sure. But considering the timing and the lack of additional context, there's no reason to believe this thumbs down isn't Rodgers-related. Assuming that is the case, that isn't what the Jets want to see.

Williams, a three-time Pro Bowler, is one of the best defensive linemen in the NFL. He's just 27 years old and is under contract through the 2027 campaign. Williams is a core piece on this Jets team that the Jets absolutely don't want to frustrate, but with this Rodgers decision, they might have.

From Williams' perspective, it isn't hard to see why. He's been with the Jets for all six of his NFL seasons, and hasn't sniffed the playoffs a single time. Rodgers gives the team a better chance to win than just about any quarterback the team can realistically acquire. Keeping Rodgers around might not be in the best interest of New York's future, but in just the 2025 campaign, he might give them a better chance to win than anyone else, as sad as that might be.

Is this the end of the world? No. But Williams showing signs of frustration ahead of what could be a rough 2025 campaign isn't great when the Jets would like to keep him around long-term.