In recent weeks, the 40-year-old veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers has continued to stress his intention to continue playing next year for the 2025 NFL season, although that insistence has been less than engaging. It seems even more uncertain where Rodgers would play next season if he returns to the NFL.

There’s a chance Rodgers won’t want to come back. According to Connor Hughes of SportsNet New York, “stability is believed to be the deciding factor on Rodgers’ return for a third year with the Jets,” and New York has been anything but stable. Head coach Robert Saleh has already been firedoffensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett had his game duties revokedgeneral manager Joe Douglas could also see his job threatened, and the owner Woody Johnson will return to his role as ambassador to UK after speaking to staff this offseason.

Now, Saleh’s departure and Hackett’s demotion are not necessarily the indicators of instability that will pursue Rodgers; in fact, they could be the result of Rodgers’ wishes. Stability would really be defined by Douglas and the interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich remaining in place after this year. Rodgers said he’d like to play for Ulbrich “till the end,” but as the Jets continue to reap the results of their attempts to please Rodgers, he may not have as much influence as he once did .

On the other hand, Ulbrich said he “absolutely” wants Rodgers to play for him next season. However, this opinion only really matters if Ulbrich is named to the official position of head coach, removing the term “interim” from his job title. Over the past 10 years, only three of 23 interim coaches have been hired as head coaches for the following season. Neither Mike Mularkey neither Doug Marrone lasted a long time in Tennessee and Jacksonville, respectively, and Antonio Pierce is having a difficult first full season in Las Vegas.

If Ulbrich isn’t hired to remain captain, even if Rodgers wants to return, the Jets might have other plans. With a new regime in place, the Jets may want to move on from a passer who will be 42 next season. With no guaranteed money in the final remaining year of his contract, it would be quite simple to move on financially from Rodgers.

However, replacing Rodgers may not be the easiest thing to do. Currently, Sam Darnold And Russell Wilson are the only two full-time starters set to hit the free agent market after the season. While both are having resurgent seasons with new teams, Wilson is far from his best seasons, and Darnold has never shown Rodgers’ upside; not to mention Darnold may not have the best taste in his mouth from his first stint with the Jets.

Other free agents like Justin Fields, Jacoby Brissett, James WinstonAnd MacJones have starting experience and could serve as decent stopgaps, but only Fields has the upside to become a decent long-term starter. Rich Cimini of ESPN notes that potential cap losses as Derek Carr Or Daniel Jones may become available, but these are potential discounts for a reason.

The Jets would also have the option to take a rookie passer in the draft. There are two problems with this plan, however. First, there is no guarantee that the Jets will find themselves in a position to select one of the best quarterbacks in the draft. Second, the 2025 draft class is lack of high-end talent with only two quarterbacks seemingly solidifying themselves as first-round prospects so far.

Either way, there are so many variables that will determine whether or not Rodgers plays next year and where he plays if he returns. He will be able to control what his deciding factors are, but ultimately the decision may end up being out of his hands.