Aaron Rodgers led the New York Jets to victory his the final game of the 2024 NFL regular season. It remains to be seen if the longtime quarterback will get another chance to log a win, either in New York or elsewhere, moving forward. Addressing questions about his future on Sunday, Rodgers left the door open for all possibilities, including starting over with a new team and retiring from the game altogether.
"I'm gonna get home and relax," Rodgers told Fox's Pam Oliver immediately following his Week 18 win. "I'm gonna clear out my head and get healthy from the bumps and bruises from the season. I've got a lot of gratitude right now; I'm gonna enjoy this tonight. Once I get back out West, I'm gonna take my time and -- I'm not gonna hold anybody up, I'm gonna have conversations tomorrow with everybody here with the Jets, and see what they're thinking, and then make a decision before it gets too late in the offseason."
Rodgers added some clarifications while speaking with reporters shortly afterward.
"If I want to play ... [but the Jets] want to move on ... would I be willing to play for another team?" he said, entertaining a hypothetical scenario. "The answer is yes." The comments came just after Rodgers downplayed an NFL Media report indicating the quarterback's peers anticipate him retiring.
When asked directly if he expects to be back with the Jets, Rodgers was purposely unclear, however.
"I don't know," he said. "I honestly don't know ... If I did, I don't know that I would tell you. But truthfully, I'm looking forward to those conversations with [Jets management]."
The former Green Bay Packers star also suggested that his Week 18 game with the Jets felt "much different" than his final game in green and yellow back in 2021. At that time, Rodgers explained Sunday, he was still wrestling with his "love for the game," already aware that his time with Green Bay had come to an end. This time around, at 40, Rodgers has no doubts about his passion for the game, he said, but simply needs a break from the physical and mental toll of his last two seasons.
