Aaron Rodgers Rumors: QB Only Expected to Stay With Jets If Ulbrich, Douglas Return

The New York Jets are 3-7 and seemingly headed for another underachieving season, barring a miraculous, late-season turnaround.

That seems likely to inspire major changes in the offseason, though the future of Aaron Rodgers may hinge on the organization maintaining continuity, according to Connor Hughes of SNY:

"Stability is believed to be the deciding factor on Rodgers returning for a third year with the Jets. That means [Jeff] Ulbrich and Joe Douglas retaining their positions. Rodgers reaffirmed that this week when he said he hopes to play for Ulbrich "until the end." If they are gone, Rodgers is believed to be, too, as the organization ushers in a fresh start – including the quarterback position. That does not mean Rodgers will retire (though, it's not impossible), but his time with the Jets could end."

It's hard to imagine the Jets keeping Ulbrich as the head coach. Since he took over for Robert Saleh, who was fired midseason, the team has gone 1-4. Unless the Jets go on a deep run down the stretch, it would be hard to blame the team for seeking an upgrade in the offseason.

Would Douglas be trusted to lead that search? A number of his major moves this year—trading for Haason Reddick this offseason before having to wait out his holdout over a contract dispute; acquiring Davante Adams ahead of the trade deadline—haven't led to the desired results.

And Rodgers himself hasn't exactly looked like a home run addition.

He missed the entire 2023 season with an Achilles injury, and this year he hasn't exactly looked like an elite player at the position, throwing for 2,258 yards, 15 touchdowns and seven interceptions while completing 62.4 percent of his passes and taking 23 sacks. Meanwhile, his 51.9 QBR ranks 24th among qualified quarterbacks.

In the process, New York's offense ranks 26th in both scoring (17.7 PPG) and yardage (298.5 YPG). Not exactly inspiring stuff.

There's an argument to be made that the team's best path going forward might be a completely clean slate, with a new front office, coaching staff and quarterback in place.

Rodgers—who has indicated he's leaning toward playing in 2025—will be 41 on Dec. 2. Given his age, it's unlikely his quality of play will improve going forward. If anything, an even steeper drop-off could be on the horizon. And the Jets could release him this offseason without being on the hook for any guaranteed money.

If they keep him, however, they'll owe him a $35 million option bonus alongside his $2.5 million base salary. That's a lot of money for what has been middling production to this point.

Whether the Jets have the stomach for a full rebuild after the excitement of the Rodgers' acquisition two years ago is an entirely different story. But the status quo shouldn't be an option if the Jets remain on their current trajectory.