The Aaron Rodgers experiment imploded in the most Jets way possible

The New York Jets did just about everything to make Aaron Rodgers feel comfortable during his time with the team, and yet all the team has to show for it is back-to-back missed playoff appearances and five wins with Rodgers on the field.

It's safe to say the Rodgers experiment in New York has failed, but the state of the franchise is in much worse shape now than it was prior to the veteran quarterback's arrival. Unfortunately for owner Woody Johnson and Co., the organization has nobody to blame but themselves.

Two second-round picks
$75 million
The contracts for Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb, and Tim Boyle
Another third-round pick and $11.6 million for Davante Adams
A year-plus with Nathaniel Hackett as OC

Five wins. https://t.co/n4HzrwUwzh
— Bill Barnwell (@billbarnwell) February 13, 2025

When the Jets went out and acquired Rodgers via trade from the Green Bay Packers, spending two second-round picks on the former Super Bowl winner probably didn't feel like tremendous draft capital. However, with a team that has as many needs as the Jets those picks could've definitely served the team well.

The even larger issue for the Jets though is the massive amount of money that is now counted towards the franchise's dead cap moving forward. $49 million to be exact.

Rodgers' time with New York also looks a lot worse now because of the moves the Jets made to accommodate the star quarterback, including bringing in players like Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb and trading for Davonte Adams.

The Jets will face $49M in dead money when they eventually release Aaron Rodgers. They can take the full hit this year or, more likely, designate him as a post-6/1 cut.

As a 6/1 cut, they’d carry his $23.5M cap hit until June 1, when it drops to $14M—saving $9.5M. However,… https://t.co/Gd4d7DAqGn
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 13, 2025

It's very likely that none of those players will be back on the Jets next season, which is a crushing blow for the Jets as they look to rebuild yet again despite actually having some really strong pieces on the team.

New head coach Aaron Glenn will certainly have his work cut out for himself, especially as the Jets look for another franchise quarterback via the draft and/or free agency.

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