By this level, you’ve most likely heard the information that Aaron Rodgers is unlikely to return to the New York Jets subsequent season.
What you may not have heard is that new head coach Aaron Glenn advised Rodgers that if he needed to play for Gang Inexperienced, he would want to ditch his widespread, weekly look on ESPN’s Pat McAfee Present.
Based on the Athletic’s Dianna Russini on her “Scoop Metropolis” podcast, the Jets beforehand advised Rodgers that, if he returns, he has to ditch the weekly look with McAfee. Additionally they knowledgeable him that he was required to attend all offseason actions—no extra ayahuasca retreats.
So the Jets actually went forward and drew a line within the sand with Rodgers. Exterior of some situations surrounding urgent points, his appearances on McAfee have been principally harmless interviews about different sports activities or popular culture matters.
Because the Jets, why would you do that? They maintain the chips—and it was already public information that Rodgers was not going to be again subsequent season. There is no such thing as a sense in mandating a ban on McAfee’s present for a participant that will likely be testing free company throughout the subsequent few months.
Based on Mike Florio, beneath the present Collective Bargaining Settlement, groups don’t have any proper to limit a participant’s off-the-field media actions. As you most likely know, additionally they can not power him to take part within the voluntary portion of organized staff actions.
Rodgers has been silent about this complete state of affairs. He attended most of final season’s voluntary offseason actions however brought on a little bit of a storm when he missed a compulsory a part of camp to attend a visit to Egypt.
Whereas Rodgers has was a little bit of a heel within the courtroom of public opinion, let’s not fake as if he’s not an excellent quarterback. At age 40, Rodgers threw for 3,897 yards, 28 touchdowns and simply 11 interceptions whereas finishing 63 p.c of his passes.
The Jets are a dumpster fireplace. He was infamously injured through the first season after simply 4 snaps. However let’s not fake as if he didn’t bounce again extraordinarily properly.
And as a free agent, he can have curiosity. This quarterback draft class isn’t thought very extremely of. Some pundits have mentioned that neither Shedeur Sanders nor Cam Ward would’ve been first spherical picks final yr.
Three quarterback-needy groups headline the highest of this yr’s draft. At minimal, Rodgers can be an improve for the Las Vegas Raiders, New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, Cleveland Browns and Tennessee Titans on this yr’s high 10. To not point out, the Jets are going to want one other quarterback, too.
It’s unclear which of these groups will even have curiosity in Rodgers. For some organizations, it could be smarter to embrace the rebuild and take a flier on a rookie quarterback as a substitute of the longer term first-ballot Corridor of Famer in Rodgers.
He’ll be capable to discover a staff to abdomen his weekly appearances on McAfee and bizarre preseason holidays.
