There was a time in which Aaron Rodgers was viewed as a savior for the New York Jets franchise.
New York brought Rodgers to town ahead of the 2023 season with the hope that he would take the franchise back to the playoffs and even Super Bowl contention after whiffing on the selection of young signal-caller Zach Wilson.
Clearly, that didn't happen, though. Rodgers spent two years in New York and unfortunately it wasn't very smooth.
His first game with the Jets was must-see television in 2023 but has popped his Achilles almost immediately and the season ended pretty much before it began. In 2024, he returned to the fold but was rusty initially. He did look good at points throughout the season, but the Jets won just five games last year and opted to move on.
Times have certainly changed.
Rodgers was deemed a savior for the Jets but now just a few years later was called only an "emergency option" for the New Orleans Saints by LouisianSports.net's Ross Jackson.
"Aaron Rodgers (41)," Jackson said. "Rodgers is more likely to look for a chance to be a starter as opposed to a veteran mentor. This wouldn’t be the right situation for him, unless the Saints decide they wanted to turn to another aging leader at the position. It would be wise of the Saints to avoid this and instead invest in the quarterbacks that could be the franchise’s future.
"If New Orleans is in a pinch at any time, and Rodgers hasn’t signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers by then, they could take this route as an emergency option. Rodgers said that he’d be willing to play somewhere for $10 million, which is well within the Saints’ price range at this point."
The Saints took Tyler Shough in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft and he isn't necessarily a slam dunk prospect. He played seven years in college thanks in large part to injuries. Now, he seems like the expected starter for New Orleans. Rodgers is available on the open market and the fact that he isn't called a top option for a team in clear need of a veteran quarterback just goes to show how perception has changed.
