Rodgers: One year would be ‘disservice’ to Jets

Rich Cimini, ESPN Staff WriterJul 21, 2023, 01:36 PM ET
Close

Aaron Rodgers has yet to play a down for the New York Jets, but his future became a talking point Friday at training camp. Rodgers said it would be a “disservice” to the Jets if he plays only one season, and coach Robert Saleh added he would be “shocked” if the star quarterback pulls a one-and-done.

Rodgers, beginning his 19th season, hasn’t publicly committed to 2024, but he came close to in a radio interview before practice.

“The Jets gave up a lot for me, so to just play one year would be a disservice,” Rodgers told the “DiPietro & Rothenberg Show” on ESPN New York 98.7 FM on Friday. “Now if that one year turns out to be a magical year, who knows? It’s more than that. It’s how my body feels, and I’ve made some changes this offseason with some training and diet.”

Rodgers, 39, wants to see how his body holds up to the rigors of the season, but said “the way I feel now, I think I could play a number of years.”

After practice, Saleh was asked about Rodgers’ future.

“I don’t want to back him into a corner and make him commit to something like that,” Saleh said. “I just want him to have fun and know that when he walks in this building to let loose and have a little bit of fun, BS with the guys, come in the office, come talk to us and just enjoy playing football. Odds are if you enjoy playing football, you’re going to want to keep doing it. I wouldn’t put pressure on him to commit to something like that anyway, but I’d be shocked if he doesn’t play multiple years. He looks like a little kid out there.”

The Jets acquired Rodgers in a blockbuster trade with the Green Bay Packers before the draft in April. At his introductory news conference, he hinted that he wanted to stick around for more than a year. At the time, he noted how much draft capital it took to complete the trade. The trade package included a 2023 second-round pick and a conditional 2024 second rounder that becomes a first-round pick if he plays in 65% of the snaps.

Rodgers, a full participant in the offseason program, made his training camp debut Thursday. Afterward, he praised the team’s young talent and roster composition, which includes wide receiver Garrett Wilson and cornerback Sauce Gardner, who were the NFL Offensive and Defensive Rookies of the Year in 2022, respectively.

Rodgers has said that both players have the potential to be the best at their respective positions.

“When you have so many great players on rookie deals, it’s pretty exciting, knowing you can do something,” Rodgers said Thursday. “You’ve got a good window. It’s not just a one-year thing where you can be competitive, which is fun.”

Rodgers also has plenty of financial motivation to play in 2024. He has two years and $109 million remaining on his contract, which was restructured by the Packers to facilitate the trade. Right now, only $1.2 million is on the Jets’ cap for 2023 — with $107.6 million scheduled to count against the cap in 2024. His contract, however, is expected to be restructured again.