The Aaron Rodgers-New York Jets experiment has been a bigger disaster than the final season of “Happy Days.” And if both parties use their minds, they’ll happily agree to divorce once the 2025 league year begins.
If Rodgers and the Jets DO split up? There’s no shortage of logical landing spots, but also a handful of teams that would be as bad a bit for him as the Jets. So with that, let’s dive into five teams Aaron Rodgers should go to and five to avoid at all costs.
Where should Aaron Rodgers go next season?
Go To: Pittsburgh Steelers
Russell Wilson and Justin Fields have provided above-average quarterback play for the Steelers in 2024. It hasn’t been all-world by any means, but certainly better than whatever they had under center from 2019 to 2023.
However, the Steelers would greatly bolster their chances of winning the Super Bowl if they added a player like Rodgers to the mix. Keep in mind both Wilson and Fields are on expiring contracts, and there’s no guarantee that either will return in 2025.
If a Wilson-Fields tandem can turn the Steelers into a top AFC team, imagine what Rodgers could do behind center. He’d have George Pickens, Pat Freiermuth, and Jaylen Warren to headline a nice set of playmakers — though we’d like to think they’d make a harder effort to retain pending free agent Najee Harris if Rodgers came aboard.
Don’t mind us suggesting that the Steelers would probably bring in Davante Adams as well if they got Rodgers. You think the Jets want the All-Pro receiver if Rodgers isn’t throwing him the ball? ‘Course not.
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NFL stories via Google! Follow Us
Rodgers wouldn’t have to play lights out, either. Not with the Steelers fielding a top-five defense led by TJ Watt, Alex Highsmith, Minkah Fitzpatrick, and Joey Porter Jr.
Add it all up, and Pittsburgh feels like the ideal landing spot for the final act of Aaron Rodgers’ career.
Avoid: New York Giants
The idea of Rodgers staying in New York to play for the NFC rival Giants is a great idea if you’re drawing up a comedy show on Broadway.
It’s rather obvious that a big personality and superstar like Rodgers isn’t cut out for the shiny-bright spotlights in New York. It’s been a marketing and PR disaster for the Jets, so why would it end differently if he went to the Giants?
Also,the Giants are among the most poorly-constructed teams in football. They have a rising star wideout in Malik Nabers and a decent No. 2 in Wan’Dale Robinson. They have an atrocious offensive line, a mediocre rushing game and a below-average defense.
And it’s not like the Giants are close to catching up with the Philadelphia Eagles or Washington Commanders in the NFC East. A healthy Dak Prescott makes the Dallas Cowboys competitive enough to keep the Giants in the division basement, too.
So we’ll kindly advise Rodgers to ignore any phone calls from the Giants if they try to recruit him. Not that he needs a reminder.
Go To: Seattle Seahawks
This entry may seem completely random at first glance, but it actually makes perfect sense if you look at the big picture.
Geno Smith hasn’t been able to repeat the success of his superb 2022 comeback player of the year season. He’s turning the ball over at an alarming rate this year, not to mention that the Seahawks would save $25 million against the cap if they were to cut or trade Smith next offseason.
If Rodgers wants to play for a Super Bowl contender next season, the Seahawks may be his best choice. He’d join a star-studded offensive nucleus led by the three-headed monster at wide receiver in DK Metcalf, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Tyler Lockett, and running back Kenneth Walker III.
Mike Macdonald’s defense hasn’t made the jump that we hoped, but there is a lot of talent to like there with Devon Witherspoon, Riq Woolen, Julian Love, Derrick Hall and Leonard Williams. Surely, improvement is inevitable for 2025.
The NFC West division is also weaker than expected, but adding Rodgers would make Seattle the overwhelming favorite to win the crown in 2025. And who wouldn’t want to see him duke it out with the San Francisco 49ers twice a year?
The main thing holding Seattle back from title contention is consistency at QB. While Smith keeps throwing careless interceptions, this Rodger guy holds the best TD-to-INT ratio in NFL history.
Did we mention he’d be throwing to the likes of Metcalf and JSN? Sign us up for Rodgers to finish his career in Emerald City!
Avoid: New Orleans Saints
New Orleans would have to pull off some creative cap gymnastics to make a Derek Carr-for-Aaron Rodgers swap work.
But you do wonder if the Jets would be open to it, keeping in mind that they pursued Carr before he signed with New Orleans in 2023 free agency. In this scenario, Carr would merely be a bridge QB for the Jets while they look for their long-term answer.
At any rate, if Rodgers becomes available, he needs to ignore New Orleans completely. Pure and simple.
Since they refuse to rebuild, the Saints could easily get caught up in the excitement of Rodgers. We could see a scenario where they meet his price demands, let him handpick their next head coach, and recruit a bunch of former teammates to New Orleans. We say no thanks.
If Rodgers goes to New Orleans, he’s signing up to finish his career on a non-playoff team. They have one of the worst offensive lines in football. Their once-elite defense has regressed to a level of mediocrity. Their best wide receiver, Chris Olave, is now an injury concern.
The Saints don’t give Rodgers any path to competing for a Super Bowl. They would still be where they are now — the third-best team in the NFC South. Don’t go here, Rodgers.
And New Orleans? For the love of Saints fans, please begin your rebuild already, for crying out loud.
Also Read: Aaron Rodgers Is Reportedly Done In New York
Go To: Indianapolis Colts
Think the Colts miss Andrew Luck? Since his retirement, they’ve tried everything at quarterback…
Jacoby Brissett. Philip Rivers. Carson Wentz. Matt Ryan. Anthony Richardson. Gardner Minshew II. Joe Flacco. Richardson again…Little Moe with the gimpy leg.
News flash: The Colts still don’t have their long-term answer behind center. And seeing how the franchise has treated Richardson in his sophomore year, it’s not a stretch to think they’ll look to move on in the offseason.
If that decision is made, we’d love the idea of the Colts making a run at Aaron Rodgers. And he too should have some interest in coming aboard.
The Colts have one of the best offensive lines in football this year. If the Jets’ unit was half as good as Indy’s group, Rodgers’ decent 2024 stat line would look a whole lot better.
They have a top-five running back in Jonathan Taylor and a deep wide receiver corps headlined by Michael Pittman Jr., Josh Downs, and Alec Pierce. But Rodgers behind center, and those three could easily put up career numbers.
Oh, and Indy would be playing in a hapless NFC South division crown. The Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars aren’t going anywhere, and the Houston Texans’ sluggish second-half play this year suggests they aren’t the contender we thought they’d be.
And if Indianapolis brought in Rodgers, nobody said they couldn’t add even more star power to the offense. They could probably get Davante Adams from the Jets for pennies on the dollar. Just saying…
Avoid: Carolina Panthers
Unless Panthers owner David Tepper offers Aaron Rodgers the type of money that Dr. Evil from “Austin Powers” sought — 100 billion dollars — why on earth would the future Hall of Famer wanna come to Carolina?
The Panthers have become a graveyard for quarterbacks. Teddy Bridgewater, Sam Darnold, 2021 Cam Newton, Baker Mayfield, and now Bryce Young. Even if Tepper offers Rodgers a future stake in Panthers ownership after his career, he’s gotta say “thanks but no thanks” and run.
They already traded their best wide receiver, Diontae Johnson. Chuba Hubbard is a stud in the backfield, yes. But who’s Rodgers gonna throw to? The unproven Xavier Legette? A 35-year-old Adam Thielen?
There is nothing appealing about this franchise that’s devoid of game-changing talents. Look at how Christian McCaffrey, DJ Moore, and Brian Burns have flourished since leaving Carolina.
Go To: Los Angeles Rams
Hear us out for a moment…
We know, we know. The Rams still have Matthew Stafford’s hefty contract on the books. But the Super Bowl 56 champion has battled a rash of injuries and is nothing close to a top-10 quarterback anymore.
Stafford can still play at an above-average level, but it’s obvious the Rams aren’t anywhere close to contending with the top dogs in the NFC. They need a better QB to compete with the likes of Detroit, Philadelphia, Minnesota and Green Bay.
If the Rams could find a taker for Stafford’s contract, GM Les Snead should be all-in on a pursuit for Aaron Rodgers. Imagine the four-time league MVP slinging it to Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp, with Kyren Williams leading the backfield.
Sean McVay is one of the greatest offensive-minded coaches the game has ever seen. You don’t think he wouldn’t be able to rejuvenate Rodgers at the end of his career? Of course, he can.
This is a long shot. But if the Rams can pull the necessary strings to make it work, they need to seriously plan a Rodgers-for-Stafford swap.
Avoid: Las Vegas Raiders
You may recall that back in the 2021 offseason, Rodgers sought a trade from the Green Bay Packers after growing fed up with management. The Denver Broncos, San Francisco 49ers and Las Vegas Raiders were said to be on his wish list.
Rodgers would have made sense if the Raiders still had Davante Adams…and if they weren’t such a lousy football team. Last year’s group finished 8-9 and boasted a top-10 defense? That team would have been perfect for Rodgers.
But Antonio Pierce’s second season in charge of the Raiders has been disastrous. Their defense is atrocious. The o-line leaves a lot to be desired. Brock Bowers and Jakobi Meyers are a prolific receiving duo, but not like the star-studded group Rodgers has failed in New York.
Owner Mark Davis will surely go big-game hunting this offseason to save his franchise. Having Tom Brady as a minority owner means the Raiders have a secret weapon of a recruiter, too.
But Rodgers must avoid all those temptations and stay away from Vegas. It’d be a total shame to see this mediocre franchise ruin the final year or two of his career.
Go To: Minnesota Vikings
Rodgers has the chance to do the funniest thing ever.
Like Brett Favre, Rodgers spent over a decade and a half with the Packers before getting traded to the Jets. Favre landed with the Vikings after a disappointing one-year stint in New York. Could Rodgers follow in the footsteps of the man he succeeded?
Here’s the case for it: Sam Darnold is having a career year but will surely chase the money from another QB-needy team in free agency. 2024 first-round pick JJ McCarthy is still their guy long-term.
But McCarthy missed his entire rookie year recovering from knee surgery. It doesn’t AT ALL hurt McCarthy to learn behind Rodgers for a year or two before taking over the starting duties — especially if Minny doesn’t think the Michigan product is ready for prime-time.
Rodgers would join a Vikings team with a star-studded supporting cast: Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, TJ Hockenson, and old friend Aaron Jones. Not to mention, Minnesota has a top-10 defense and a rock-solid offensive line that has helped Darnold enjoy a career year.
And, of course, there’s the whole Packers-Vikings rivalry thing. Imagine if Rodgers pulled a Favre by playing for the Vikings at the tail-end of his career? DRAMA baby.
But in terms of competing for a championship, the Vikings are the perfect landing spot for Rodgers — seeing that he has no more than two seasons left.
Avoid: Cleveland Browns
Jameis Winston has followed the footsteps of Jacoby Brissett and Joe Flacco in Cleveland. That is, he’s completely outplayed Deshaun Watson and shown yet again that the $230 million man has been the problem the entire time.
The Browns have to cut their losses and release Watson or pay him to be on the bench next year. Clearly, Kevin Stefanski isn’t the problem if the Browns’ offense is functioning with second-string QBs.
But this doesn’t at all mean that Rodgers should be itching to play with the Browns. They still lack a No. 1 receiver after trading Amari Cooper. Star running back Nick Chubb is a pending free agent, and Jim Schwartz’s usually stingy defense has taken a giant step back.
Plus, does Rodgers really think he can compete in an AFC featuring the Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, and Cincinnati Bengals? There’s no path to a Super Bowl if he joins Cleveland.
Also Read: How Will Aaron Rodgers Impact The 2025 NFL Draft?
