The Green Bay Packers made a choice on April 23, 2020, that changed the trajectory of their team’s history. They traded up in the first round to choose Jordan Love in the NFL Draft, even though they had Aaron Rodgers, the two-time NFL MVP at the time, still playing at a high level. Rodgers, who had stated for years that he wanted to play for the Packers for the entire season, was suddenly aware that his contract was about to expire.
And he going to do everything he could to prove Green Bay wrong.
The future Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback went on to win the next two NFL MVP’s while having not-so-private disagreements with the front office. To his credit, he was a great teammate and mentor to Love, but he had no intention on being forced out of his job.
But following a disappointing 2022 season, and with Rodgers heavily contemplating retirement, the Packers decided it was time to give the offense over to Love. Not one to allow anyone else determine when his playing days were going to win, the now four-time NFL MVP decided not to retire, and play elsewhere in 2023.
Green Bay traded Rodgers to the New York Jets because he wanted to stay in the NFL. In addition to ushering in a new era for the Packers, the deal represented a new beginning for Rodgers and New York. The Jets thought that bringing in one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history would be the final component they needed to end their postseason losing streak.
But after an offseason filled with promise and hope, the aged quarterback tore his Achilles four snaps into the 2023 regular season. Without him, New York finished the season 7-10 for the second consecutive year, but held out hope that his healthy return in 2024 would still bring about the results they had envisioned when they traded for him.
It did not.
Rodgers and the Jets finished the 2024 season 5-12, with the one-time Super Bowl winner completing 63.0% of his passes for 3,897 yards, 28 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, and a 90.5 passer rating. Along the way, New York fired their head coach and general manager, two of the biggest reasons Rodgers was acquired by the Jets in the first place.
As was the case when his time with the Packers came to an end, Rodgers does not want the decision of an organization to be the reason his playing career is over. While he would have preferred to play the 2025 season with the Jets, the fact of the matter is that the new regime does not want him, and they have made that clear to him.
However, there are not many teams that want a 41 year-old quarterback coming off of the worst statistical season of his career. At least, not a team that is just a quarterback shy of winning a Super Bowl. As his options have rumored to evaporate over the course of the offseason, there is just one more team that is known to be interested, and it is a team that he is rumored to have reached out to as well: the New York Gaint
Per Dianna Russini of The Athletic, the Giants have shifted their focus to Rodgers after missing out on Matthew Stafford, who restructured his contract with the Los Angeles Rams:
The Giants have the third overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and are believed to be looking for their quarterback of the future. However, signing Rodgers would give them the opportunity to allow whichever quarterback they may draft the chance to sit for at least a year and learn from one of the best of the business.
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