Insider teases two potential offseason landing spots for Jets' Aaron Rodgers

New York Jets owner Woody Johnson seems ready to move on from quarterback Aaron Rodgers as part of a franchise reset that will include hiring a new general manager and new head coach. 

For a piece published Wednesday, ESPN NFL insiders Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano noted that the San Francisco 49ers haven't yet locked starting signal-caller Brock Purdy down beyond next season via a contract extension. 

"And if for some reason things go poorly and the 49ers need contingency plans, I can think of one quarterback who is playing for a lot: New York's Aaron Rodgers," Fowler explained. "What's interesting about Rodgers is he could finish with 4,000 yards and close to 30 touchdowns on the season. Not bad, amid all that has gone wrong."

While Rodgers was slowed by ankle, knee and hamstring injuries earlier this fall coming off the torn Achilles he suffered in September 2023, Rich Cimini of ESPN mentioned on Wednesday that the future Hall of Famer, who turned 41 years old earlier this month, passed for 628 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions over his past two games. Such numbers could suggest a healthy Rodgers may have something left in the tank for another campaign. 

As for Purdy, he has failed to impress some around the league as the 49ers have dealt with an injury crisis amid what's become a 6-8 season for the organization. There's a belief that San Francisco could receive "significant draft capital" by trading Purdy before the 2025 player-selection process. If the 49ers went down that route, they could start a rental such as Rodgers next September. 

49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan had some interest in acquiring Rodgers back in the spring of 2021, but it's unknown what Shanahan would think about taking a flier on the veteran this coming offseason. 

Fowler added in Wednesday's article that Rodgers also "has been linked to" the Tennessee Titans in the past. Rodgers was reportedly "open" to possibly joining the Titans in February 2022 when he was still with the Green Bay Packers, and Tennessee will almost certainly be looking for an upgrade at the position following the benching of second-year pro Will Levis.

Cimini pointed out that Rodgers has thus far publicly said "he's undecided on" whether to return for another season. If the four-time regular-season Most Valuable Player Award winner plays well and stays healthy through Week 18, he could become an interesting option for teams, assuming the Jets officially show him the door when the new league year opens in March. 

Then again, Johnson's new regime may want to hang onto Rodgers if he looks even a little like the player of old over New York's final three games of the season.