Aaron Rodgers, as he’s wont to do, was enjoying it coy. It’s a pastime of his. It might even drive him to a level.
Rodgers, in his coronary heart, is aware of damned effectively what’s going to occur with no matter stays of the Jets hierarchy inside days after this stunningly disappointing season of rampant underachievement involves its merciful finish in six weeks.
The pinnacle coach and normal supervisor have already been fired, Robert Saleh after 5 video games and Joe Douglas final week.
Rodgers’ finest good friend, Nathaniel Hackett, the demoted offensive coordinator and play-caller, and the remainder of the Jets workers have as a lot of an opportunity to stay at their posts as of Woody Johnson doing what each Jets fan needs him to do, which is promote the staff.
Rodgers has been an unabashed supporter of interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich since he took over for Saleh.
On Wednesday, Rodgers mentioned he’s “undoubtedly all in on Brick,” when talking about whether or not he needs to come back again to play for the Jets in 2025.
He added, “I’m not going to say ‘Brick or nothing’ ” on the subject of deciding components for him returning to play for the Jets in 2025.
“I like Brick, however that’s out of my management,” Rodgers mentioned. “Clearly, I might like to play for Brick once more. He’s a implausible human being, however there’s plenty of issues that may change within the subsequent six weeks. There may very well be some actually good emotions popping out of [these final six games] or there may very well be wholesale adjustments, and I is likely to be part of that.’’
Rodgers mentioned he needs to come back again to play for the Jets in 2025 … if he decides he needs to play in 2025.
That is the best way the Jets quarterback has positioned this hot-button subject: He’ll resolve if he needs to proceed enjoying and, if he does, his first alternative is the Jets.
What’s utterly out of his management, nevertheless, is whether or not the Jets — or anybody else — will need Rodgers to play for them in 2025.
He turns 41 on Monday. He’s coming off that ruptured Achilles that sabotaged his 2023 season, and has since had hamstring, knee and ankle points this season.
He’s quarterbacking a 3-8 staff that’s already fired its head coach and normal supervisor and is careening towards an entire organizational rebuild.
And personally, his season has been mediocre and massively under his Corridor of Fame commonplace, failing to make these round him higher, which has been his tremendous energy since he turned the Packers starter in 2008.
Two week in the past, Rodgers stood in the identical place contained in the staff’s locker room that he stood on Wednesday after follow and mentioned “I feel so’’ when requested if he plans on enjoying subsequent season. That tenor has modified with Douglas having been fired since he made that assertion.
“Should you take a look at what transpired in these two weeks, Joe obtained axed — and Joe introduced me in right here,” Rodgers mentioned. “I’m not naive to what the state of affairs is. If a brand new GM is available in and so they don’t retain Brick, I’ve to slot in these plans. So, that’s form of the primary half.
“This [remaining with the Jets] is my first possibility. I’d like to play right here if I find yourself deciding to play, however there’s obtained to be a need for them to need to convey me again, and for me to need to play.”
There was a report a number of days in the past that Rodgers could also be positioned on injured reserve, probably having performed his remaining snap as a Jet, due to his varied bodily illnesses and with the staff far out of playoff competition.
Ulbrich and Rodgers vehemently debunked that report.
“He’s doing higher as we speak than he has for fairly some time now, I might say for the final 5 – 6 weeks,” Ulbrich mentioned Wednesday.
Requested if his plan is to proceed enjoying Rodgers regardless of the misplaced season, Ulbrich mentioned, “So long as he’s wholesome, my plan is to play him, and I do know speaking to him that’s the method he needs to do it, too.’’
Rodgers, when requested if his determination to play in 2025 will likely be affected by a brand new regime’s want to retain him, mentioned, “I feel you’ve obtained to have a look at the entire half. You’ve obtained to have a look at workers and scheme, and route, and what you need to do. These are conversations for down the street and I hope I’m part of a few of these conversations.”
That is, by far, essentially the most unsure state of affairs Rodgers has confronted in his adorned 20-year profession. For an individual who clearly borders on obsessive on the subject of controlling the narrative, this must be unsettling.
“There’s plenty of unknowns, in order that stuff is out of my management,” he mentioned. “I’m simply going to get pleasure from these instances right here and let the longer term maintain itself.”
