Aaron Rodgers experiment continues to haunt Jets

Just three years ago, it looked like the New York Jets' woes would finally come to an end. 

Their Super Bowl-caliber defense would finally get the quarterback they needed, with Aaron Rodgers taking the reins as a perennial MVP candidate and first-ballot Hall of Famer.

Rodgers got hurt on the first drive of his debut, and the team collapsed on both sides of the field once he was finally able to play the following season.

Now, even though the Jets will enter their second season without Rodgers on the field, he's still on their books.

The Jets will take a huge cap hit because of Aaron Rodgers

As shown by Over The Cap, Rodgers' contract continues to be a headache in Gotham.

They'll have to take a huge $35 million dead cap hit after his post-June 1 release in 2025. That designation allowed them to spread the dead money over a couple of years, a standard practice in situations like this.

If that wasn't bad enough, the  Jets will also take a $20 million dead cap hit from Justin Fields' contract. All in all, they'll have just over $111 million in dead money, the third-most in the league.

That said, it's not like it's all negative for the Jets. They will have more than $150 million in available cap space next season and nine draft picks in 2026, including two first-round and two second-round picks. They also have three first-rounders in 2027.

History isn't on their side, but they have the resources and financial flexibility to finally put these dark times and Aaron Rodgers' contract behind them.