Could Titans pass on QB with No. 1 pick, pursue Aaron Rodgers?

Ben Arthur

NFL Reporter

Aaron Rodgers is on the open market. Could he be the Titans’ quarterback in 2025?

It’s a possibility that we can’t totally rule out. The four-time league MVP, whom the New York Jets officially announced they will release in March, is expected to continue playing despite a disappointing past two seasons. And it’s no certainty that Tennessee, armed with the No. 1 overall pick, will take a quarterback in this draft.

A short-term bridge option is in play for the Titans. If they’re not sold on Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders or Miami’s Cam Ward, it makes sense to pair an accomplished veteran with Will Levis — who still has two years on his rookie contract — to man the quarterback position for 2025, with the first pick leveraged to accumulate much-needed draft capital.

Draft picks are valuable to all teams, of course. But they should be viewed at an especially high premium by the new Titans brass, which is tasked with flipping a talent-deficient roster that finished 3-14 last season.

“We’re going to turn over every rock, whether that’s free agency, draft,” new general manager Mike Borgonzi said about the QB position at his introductory press conference. “Will [Levis], we’re going to give him every opportunity to play and compete, but we’re going to attack this thing. We’re going to be relentless attacking this thing.”

A declining Rodgers is still exponentially better than what the Titans had in 2024.

The 41-year-old threw for 3,897 passing yards and 28 touchdowns against 11 interceptions last season. By contrast, Levis and Mason Rudolph combined for fewer passing yards (3,621) and touchdowns (22) and threw double the picks (22). Rodgers could give coach Brian Callahan the kind of stability at the position to allow his offense to come to life.

“I think it’s very clear that that’s a position we have to do our due diligence on and our work on, both in free agency and the draft,” Callahan said last month.

Jets officially splitting with Aaron Rodgers after two seasons

As the Titans rebuild their roster, the four-time All-Pro is someone who could bring fans to the seats as well; that’s a plus considering any perceived headache that his presence brings. A sparsely filled Nissan Stadium was a regular occurrence for home games in 2024.

Would Rodgers actually want to come to Tennessee, which has had a poor pass-protecting offensive line for years? It’s hard to say. But at 41 and with limited mobility, it’s hard to imagine that his market will be robust.

Keep in mind that Rodgers and Titans president of football operations Chad Brinker, who has the final say on the roster, overlapped for 14 years with the Green Bay Packers (2009-22). New Titans passing game coordinator and cornerback coach Tony Oden was with Rodgers the past two seasons with the Jets, too. Rodgers’ relationship with both individuals is unclear, but that familiarity could play a role in potential discussions.

Tennessee’s roster needs plenty of work, but it has a 1,000-yard wide receiver (Calvin Ridley) and 1,000-yard rusher (Tony Pollard). The Titans have the No. 1 pick. They currently rank 11th in salary cap space. They have an offensive-minded coach.

On paper, there are reasons to be intrigued if you’re a veteran quarterback like Rodgers.

The Titans are a team with their eyes toward the future.

“If I can map this out perfectly, I’d love to have 30 picks over the next three years and 12 of those come in the top 100,” Brinker said last month. “I mean, that would be ideal. That’s how you flip your roster. That’s how you get youth on your roster.

“And then let’s be selective in free agency to try to find some of the right veterans to balance this roster,” he continued, “and be able to show these guys how to be pros.”

Why can’t Rodgers be one of those veterans?

Ben Arthur is an NFL reporter for FOX Sports. He previously worked for The Tennessean/USA TODAY Network, where he was the Titans beat writer for a year and a half. He covered the Seattle Seahawks for SeattlePI.com for three seasons (2018-20) prior to moving to Tennessee. You can follow Ben on Twitter at @benyarthur.

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