New York Jets

The New York Jets could make a run at quarterback Justin Fields with Aaron Rodgers out the door in the Big Apple, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

Fowler reported Sunday on SportsCenter that there "could be something there if they're looking to go younger" regarding the Jets' QB search.

Head coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey confirmed this week they told Rodgers he won't be back with the team for the 2025 season. The announcement left no doubt as to whether New York will have a new starting quarterback when it opens next year.

New York isn't on the clock until the No. 7 pick in the 2025 NFL draft. Landing one of Miami's Cam Ward or Colorado's Shedeur Sanders will almost certainly require a move up. Standing pat would mean reaching for the best of what's left in a generally weak QB class. Ward and Sanders are the only ones who crack the top 50 in Bleacher Report's big board.

The risk with Fields is obvious.

The 2021 first-round pick had an up-and-down three years with the Chicago Bears and got benched midway through 2024 with the Pittsburgh Steelers. While the Steelers went 4-2 with him as the starter, he averaged 110.6 passing yards per game.

Fields nonetheless wouldn't be a terrible choice for the Jets because he's unlikely to carry a steep cost. Spotrac values him at $6.4 million annually. Even if you double that figure, it's still pretty cheap for a starting QB.

The 25-year-old has a pretty high floor, too. For his career, he has completed 61.1 percent of his passes with 45 touchdowns to 31 interceptions.

Fields probably wouldn't be a long-term solution for the Jets, which is clearly what the franchise needs. He could, however, buy some time for a draft pick Glenn and Mougey identify as a better candidate to be that permanent answer.

The New York Jets' reshuffling this offseason will also likely include moving on from wide receiver Davante Adams because he is too expensive.

ESPN's Rich Cimini wrote about the situation Sunday and said even though Adams is signed for two more years, "he won't have to request his release. It will happen because his 2025 cap charge is prohibitive—$38.3 million, none of it guaranteed.

"The only way to stay is to renegotiate the deal, and he probably prefers to be released, allowing him to test free agency for the first time.""

Cimini also noted the Jets would clear $29.9 million if they cut the receiver who previously said his future with the team depended on whether Aaron Rodgers would return, further indicating such a move will happen this offseason.

"I came here with the hopes that I wouldn't have to find a new home, so it's kind of bittersweet, I guess," Adams said. "It's cool to be able to control where you go, but I've done that [while] still under contract."

New York already announced it is moving on from Rodgers heading into the 2025 campaign, and the next natural step would be parting ways with some of his familiar targets in the passing game as well.

In addition to Adams, Cimini pointed out Allen Lazard has not produced enough "to justify his $13.2 million cap charge."

The Jets have a new head coach (Aaron Glenn) and general manager (Darren Mougey) and will have a new quarterback next season as well. That quarterback will at least have Garreett Wilson to throw to, but the front office will undoubtedly look to add a few more weapons if it is moving on from Adams and Lazard as well.

As for Adams, he can surely still be productive for another team even at this stage of his career.

The 32-year-old may not quite be the version of himself that led the NFL with 18 touchdown catches in 2020 as a member of the Green Bay Packers, but still posted 85 catches for 1,063 yards and eight touchdowns last season.

He can be a veteran leader for a team looking for impact playmakers on the outside all while looking to add to a resume that features six Pro Bowl selections, three All-Pro First Team nods and six seasons with more than 1,000 receiving yards.

The end of the Aaron Rodgers era for the New York Jets means the Garrett Wilson era may just be getting started for the AFC East team.

ESPN's Rich Cimini reported Sunday that "Rodgers' departure greatly increases the chances of Garrett Wilson's return."

The update comes after the Jets announced Thursday they met with the veteran quarterback and informed him they were moving on heading into the 2025 campaign. It brought the end of a tumultuous two seasons that saw Rodgers appear in just one game because of an Achilles injury in 2023 and then go 5-12 as a starter in 2024.

As for Wilson, Cimini highlighted the apparent "tension" in the receiver's relationship with Rodgers that began "with heated conversations on the field in training camp" and then "bubbled up late in the season, fueling speculation that Wilson might ask for a trade."

Wilson took a step back in the offense after New York traded for Davante Adams, who previously played with Rodgers on the Green Bay Packers. Cimini noted Adams saw 112 overall targets and 21 red-zone targets compared to Wilson's 87 targets and 11 red-zone targets in 11 games together.

Keeping Wilson, 24, is more important to the Jets' long-term future than keeping the 41-year-old Rodgers.

After all, the Ohio State product has an Offensive Rookie of the Year and three straight seasons of more than 1,000 receiving yards to start his career after he was the No. 10 overall pick of the 2022 NFL draft.

He is a building block at a key offensive position and someone who can help ease the transition to the next quarterback in 2025 and beyond.

That will eventually require a new contract, as he is entering the final year of his deal before a club option in 2026. He has also outplayed his current contract that is set to pay him $1.1 million in base salary next season.

It seems like Wilson will be more likely to sign a long-term extension now that Rodgers is gone, which makes him something of a priority during what promises to be a busy offseason in the Big Apple.

Aaron Rodgers' appearances on The Pat McAfee Show didn't factor into the New York Jets' decision to move on from him, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

"First of all, I don't think the Jets really cared that he was on The Pat McAfee Show honestly," Rapoport said on Thursday.

Dianna Russini of The Athletic initially reported Tuesday that New York wouldn't allow the veteran quarterback to go on the show if he were to stay with the team.

On Thursday, the Jets announced they were officially moving in a different direction at quarterback for the 2025 season.

Rodgers made regular appearances on The Pat McAfee Show throughout his tenure with the Jets. Andrew Marchand of the New York Post reported in Oct. 2023 that the four-time MVP was receiving "more than seven figures per year" to come on the show.

Rodgers' performance on the field seems to have contributed towards the Jets' decision-making process more than his television appearances, though.

The 41-year-old's first season in New York came to a swift end, suffering a torn Achilles on the opening drive of the year that kept him out for the rest of the team's 2023 campaign.

Rodgers was able to return in time for the start of the 2024 season, but he didn't look as sharp in the pocket compared to his days with the Green Bay Packers. He completed 63 percent of his throws for 3,897 yards and 28 touchdowns compared to 11 interceptions in 17 starts.

While retirement could also be an option for the signal-caller, Fox Sports' Jay Glazer reported on Sunday that "all signs point to him continuing to play" in 2025.

Rodgers will be searching for a change of scenery during the offseason, but his media presence reportedly wasn't a reason behind the Jets cutting ties with him.