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The Aaron Rodgers offseason saga keeps adding chapters. The legendary quarterback, after a disappointing stint with the New York Jets, remains a free agent and has yet to respond to the Pittsburgh Steelers-currently the only team that has offered him a job for the 2025 season.
A couple of years ago, the New York Jets signed Aaron Rodgers, believing he would be the final piece of the puzzle to become a competitive team. But that didn't happen. In the 2023 season, Rodgers was injured in Week 1 against the Bills and missed the entire year. In 2024, he did start, but the Jets finished with a 5-12 record, far from playoff contention.
Despite that disastrous Jets season, if we look at Rodgers' numbers, they weren't bad at all-he threw for 28 touchdowns and only 11 interceptions. So one might think he still has what it takes to play in the NFL, but his only option to stay in the league appears to be with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Justin Fields is the new quarterback of the New York Jets
Since Mark Sanchez led the New York Jets to back-to-back AFC Championship games in 2010 and 2011, the Big Apple team has had a long parade of quarterbacks, none of whom performed well-it almost seems like a curse.
Zach Wilson, a first-round pick in 2021, was a complete disaster. Then Rodgers couldn't deliver either. Now, the offense will be led by Justin Fields, who had some strong moments with the Bears and Steelers, and will now look to rewrite the Jets' quarterback narrative.
"I think I can be great," Fields told ESPN.com. "That's been the goal for me my whole life, my whole career. I think the sky's the limit for this team, for this offense, but we still have a long way to go."
It's a big opportunity for both Fields and the New York Jets. The team is paying him just $20 million for the season, making the former Ohio State quarterback one of the lowest-paid starting QBs in the league. But if he performs well, Fields could earn himself a significant contract extension.
"Our offense and defense are new, so the guys are really focused and committed to learning everything," Fields said. "But I think once we get it down, the sky's the limit. We have all the guys we need, all the talent, so it's really going to come down to discipline and execution."
Last year with the Steelers, Fields played in 10 games, starting six of them. He posted four wins and just two losses, threw five touchdown es with only one interception-solid numbers in what was a conservative offense. He might find a similar system with the Jets.