After missing virtually all of the 2023 NFL Season, Aaron Rodgers is now missing the rest of Jets minicamp. Has the team already had enough with the QB? Contractually, there is an "out" in this contract, and depending on how 2024 goes, the Jets might take that route. I don't know how the Jets couldn't be even a little annoyed with Rodgers.
He tore his Achilles in 2023, and flirted with the idea of returning from the injury in the season, which would have been a scientific feat never accomplished before. Well, that all seemed to be smoke, and now the latest drama to hit the New York Jets is Rodgers missing the rest of the minicamp period.
The absence is just another wrinkle in the blanket of drama that the New York Jets have had ever since Rodgers was traded there. Could the Jets embrace moving on from Aaron Rodgers next offseason?
Here are three QBs they could replace him with.
3 quarterbacks New York Jets can replace Aaron Rodgers with next NFL offseason
Dak Prescott
Dak Prescott is the most notable player who is currently scheduled to be a free agent in 2025. Now yes, there is a lot of time between now and the 2025 offseason, so the Dallas Cowboys could just lock Prescott up for the long-term, but why haven't they done that yet? With the Cowboys quiet an pathetic offseason, they may just be giving Prescott and head coach Mike McCarthy one last chance together.
McCarthy's deal expires after the 2024 NFL Season, so maybe this is the last run with this duo. If so, Prescott will indeed hit the free agency market, and if GM Joe Douglas still has a job with the Jets, this would be a logical landing spot.
Mac Jones
Mac Jones showed a good bit of promise during his rookie season in 2021, but was quite bad in 2022 and 2023 with the New England Patriots. Bad personnel on offense coupled with some awful coaching probably led the regression, and now Jones is in Jacksonville, set to backup Trevor Lawrence.
With Jones set to hit the free agency market in 2025 as a potentially new and improved player, could a team take a chance and give him another shot to start? Well, if the Jets had a new coaching staff, and depending on who they are, they could have interest in Mac Jones as the starter for the 2025 NFL Season.
It probably would not be the most popular of choices for the Jets fanbase, but they might not have much to choose from if the team decides to move on from Aaron Rodgers.
Derek Carr
The New Orleans Saints might give it one last go with the Dennis Allen/Derek Carr era. The duo could not inspire me to make a ham sandwich, but Saints GM Mickey Loomis decided to make it happen. The team went 9-8 in 2023, had a top 10 scoring offense and defense, and somehow did not make the postseason.
With the Saints desperately needing a rebuild and some breathing room with their cap space, cutting ties with Carr next offseason does make sense. The Saints would save $30 million on their cap number but would have to eat over $21 million in dead money, so while the dead money his high, the cap savings still make it a positive move.
Carr would be in his mid-30s at this point, and has mostly been an average QB, but he's been moderately efficient most of his career, so as a short-term option to at least raise the floor of the QB room.
Again, probably not an option that Jets fans would be thrilled with, but heck, they might not have another good choice available.