When the 2024 season ended for the New York Jets, it seemed like there was a very real chance that Aaron Rodgers had played his final snap in a Jets uniform, but with the recent hiring of Aaron Glenn as head coach, the door now seems to be open for Rodgers to return in 2025. 

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, Glenn is open to the idea of bringing Rodgers back for a third season in New York. 

“Aaron Glenn, to my understanding, is open to it. Rodgers as well. Expect those conversations to ramp up in the coming week,” Rapoport said Sunday. 

Since the end of the season, Rodgers has been insisting that he might return to the Jets, but he mentioned that he would have to wait and see who the team hired as the new head coach and general manager. 

“I think everybody understands that it’s going to come down to a GM and a coach and myself and whether we all want to do a dance together or if it’s not in the cards,” Rodgers told “The Pat McAfee Show” back on Jan. 16, via ESPN.com.  

Not only did the Jets fill their head-coaching job last week, but they also officially filled their general manager job on Saturday with the hiring of Darren Mougey. Jets owner Woody Johnson, who reportedly wanted to see Rodgers benched earlier this year, will likely be on board with keeping Rodgers if that’s what Glenn and Mougey decide is best for the organization. 

“Darren is a trusted NFL executive who has experience working with an impressive collection of football leaders,” Johnson said Saturday. “He is a proven talent evaluator who impressed us with his vision for this team. His partnership with Coach Glenn will revitalize this organization. I am proud of the thorough search we undertook and that it led us to the two best individuals to lead our football team going forward.”

Although Glenn is open to bring back Rodgers, it’s not clear how Mougey feels. The Jets new general manager could move on from Rodgers and look to replace him in the draft or in free agency. Mougey doesn’t have any ties to Rodgers, but he did spend the past 13 seasons in Denver’s front office, including the 2021 offseason, when the Broncos showed interest in pulling off a trade for Rodgers, who was with the Packers at the time. In the end, Rodgers would spend two more seasons in Green Bay before being traded to the Jets in April 2023. 

With Rodgers already on the roster, Mougey could use him as possible bridge quarterback: He could let Rodgers start in 2025 and get someone else ready for 2026. 

If the Jets decide to move on from Rodgers, they’d be staring at a $49 million dead cap hit for the 2025 season if they decided to release him although that could be softened if they designated him as a post-June 1 cut (In that case, they’d take a $14 million dead cap hit in 2025 and $35 million in 2026). We’ve got a breakdown of Rodgers’ contract, which you can check out here. 

The Jets will likely make a decision about Rodgers sooner rather than later and that’s because if they decide to move on, they’ll have to figure out if they want to go after a new quarterback in free agency or the draft. The Jets hold the seventh overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and if you’re wondering what they might do, you can check out our set of mock drafts here.