Aaron Rodgers appears to be out as quarterback of the New York Jets after two seasons, only one of which he was actually on the field for.
The Jets fell massively short of their lofty expectations in 2024, finishing the season 5–12 and missing the playoffs for a the 14th consecutive season, the longest streak without a postseason appearance not only in the NFL, but across all four major professional sports leagues in the United States.
With Rodgers set to hit the exit door, it's possible he signs with another team during free agency. Retirement remains an option, but he may be looking to stick around in the league for his age-42 season. If he does play another season, there are a handful of destinations that make sense for his final hoorah.
Aaron Rodgers Landing Spots in Free Agency
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers are one team that will be addressing the quarterback position this offseason. With Russell Wilson and Justin Fields both set to hit free agency, the team has previously expressed its desire to bring one of them back to Pittsburgh. But, with Rodgers also becoming available, it's possible the Steelers shift their sights to focus on the 41-year-old.
A one-year deal for Rodgers would enable Pittsburgh to remain flexible in 2026, rather than signing Fields to a multi-year deal or bringing back Wilson who struggled down the stretch. The Steelers lost each of their last five games in 2024 with Wilson under center. They didn't score more than 17 points in any of those games, and it's possible they feel Rodgers will provide them more of a spark offensively than Wilson did.
Las Vegas Raiders
Like the Steelers, the Raiders are expected to be searching for a new quarterback during the offseason. Their tandem of Gardner Minshew and Aidan O'Connell provided mostly poor results throughout the season, and while they're expected to be considering picking a quarterback early in the 2025 draft, the team may prefer to test free agency due to a weaker crop of QBs in the draft.
Rodgers, of course, would be a sensible fit for a one-year deal in Las Vegas. The Raiders have an abundance of cap space––over $85 million and the second most in the NFL––and it's possible they elect to wait on drafting a quarterback until 2026 and roll the dice with Rodgers next year in Pete Carroll's first season as head coach.
Tennessee Titans
Perhaps a less likely destination due to how far away the team is from contending, the Titans remain an option for Rodgers in free agency. The team owns the No. 1 pick in the draft, and even if they do use it to select a quarterback like Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders, it's possible they view those two as the heir apparent to Rodgers. Getting mentored by a four-time MVP would be invaluable to a young quarterback, and Rodgers, if he's willing, could help instruct a young quarterback before passing him the torch in 2026.
Whether that's the type of role Rodgers is looking for remains to be seen, but after a 2024 season that saw the Titans roll with Will Levis and Mason Rudolph, it's clear there's a dire need at the position for Brian Callahan's team.
San Francisco 49ers
Is Brock Purdy really the future at quarterback in San Francisco? Signs point toward the answer being yes, but if the team gets cold feet about handing the former Mr. Irrelevant the massive contract he's expected to receive, they could end up pivoting to Rodgers. The Niners have a big decision to make in regard to Purdy's future with the team, as it's been reported that the 25-year-old could sign a contract that pays him upwards of $55 million annually.
If the team doesn't feel he's worth that much, they could try to lure Rodgers to town. A California native, Rodgers would certainly be intrigued in joining an already talent-laden 49ers roster and play alongside stars such as Christian McCaffrey, Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle. Deebo Samuel and his $15.8 million cap hit could also be on their way out of town after he requested a trade this offseason, which could open up some financial flexibility to sign Rodgers and further fortify the roster around him.
This all, of course, depends on what the team intends to do with Purdy, who will be on the final year of his contract in 2025.
New Orleans Saints
The Saints find themselves in a tough spot heading into the offseason, with plenty of needs to fill on the roster and virtually zero cap space to work with. The Saints enter the offseason $54 million above the cap and have to get past their current hurdle with quarteback Derek Carr, who will carry a $51.45 million cap hit in 2025 and an even larger $61.45 million cap hit in 2026.
They could save $30 million by releasing Carr with a post-June 1 designation, though they'd be on the books for $21 million in dead cap in 2025 and another $28 million in 2026. Trading him post June 1 (which is complicated by his no-trade clause) could save the team $40 million, while also leaving behind some sizable dead cap hits.
If they are able to finagle their way out of Carr's contract (which will be no easy feat), Rodgers would become a viable option for incoming head coach Kellen Moore to work with in year one, although they'd still need to make other rooms to get in under the cap before turning to Rodgers.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Five NFL Teams Who Could Pursue Aaron Rodgers As Offseason Begins.
