Insider addresses if Jets could cut Aaron Rodgers if he doesn't retire

As individuals such as Ryan Chichester of Audacy have pointed out, the perception exists that top-tier head-coaching candidates could pass on interviewing with the New York Jets this coming January in part because those coaches may not want to be stuck with having a past-his-prime version of quarterback Aaron Rodgers on the roster. 

For a piece published Wednesday, Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic shared how the Jets could move on from Rodgers during the upcoming offseason, even if the future Hall of Famer wants to continue playing past his 41st birthday that he'll celebrate in December. 

"Rodgers currently only carries a $23.5M cap hit next year, but if he was cut or retired the Jets would incur a $49M dead-cap charge," Rosenblatt explained. "If the Jets declared him a post-June 1 cut (or retirement), they could split the $49M hit over two seasons, with $14M of it coming in 2025 and $35M in 2026."

The Denver Broncos showed when they parted ways with quarterback Russell Wilson back in March that the cap hits provided by Rosenblatt are easy for a club to stomach in a world where the NFL salary cap goes up each year. Meanwhile, it's unknown what Rodgers plans to do beyond Week 18 of what will likely go down as his worst campaign as a full-time QB1. 

"Some in the [Jets] wonder if, should the season continue down this path and Rodgers keeps playing the way he has, he might opt to retire," Rosenblatt revealed. 

Rodgers said this past summer he wanted to give the Jets "two great years" coming off the torn Achilles he suffered in Week 1 of the 2023 season. That was before he endured multiple physical setbacks this fall and before he played and sounded like a shell of his former great self. 

Per Pro Football Reference, Rodgers heads into Week 11 ranked 25th in the NFL among qualified players with a 52.0 adjusted QBR and 23rd with an 86.8 passer rating for the ongoing campaign. 

As for the 3-7 Jets, they seem headed toward a reset that will likely involve team owner Woody Johnson moving on from general manager Joe Douglas.

Every game is a must-win matchup for the Jets, beginning with this Sunday's home contest against a 4-6 Indianapolis Colts side that has quarterback problems of its own. One can't help but wonder if Gang Green could be a loss away from Rodgers deciding that it's best for everybody involved if he and the Jets go through an amicable breakup come January.