It’s as “official” as it can be without being official. The New York Jets have formerly announced that they will be moving on from quarterback Aaron Rodgers. That ends the ill-fated attempt of Rodgers revitalizing a Jets organization that has struggled for over a decade. And it means a new chapter for Rodgers in his post-Packers career.

His contract has not been officially terminated so he cannot sign or even tryout for teams. But the formal announcement that the Jets are parting way with a vested veteran means that teams can begin those conversations. And there are certainly teams out there willing to role the dice on a multiple time league MVP.

We’ll discuss the possible landing spots for Aaron Rodgers as part of a bigger discussion about the Jets free agency. There are a lot of moving parts for this team in terms of the depth chart, contracts, salary cap, and free agents. Let’s dive in to make some predictions for the future of this organization. And who knows - maybe you can even use this information to give yourself an advantage in your dynasty fantasy football or early best ball leagues, if you dabble in those!

*The salary cap numbers referenced in this article come courtesy of our friends over at Spotrac.com*

 

 

 

New York Jets Depth Chart 2025 (Fantasy Football Relevant)

QB

Aaron Rodgers

Tyrod Taylor

Jordan Travis

 

RB

Breece Hall

Braelon Allen

Isaiah Davis

Kene Nwangwu

WR

Davante Adams

Charles Irvin

Malik Taylor

 

WR

Garrett Wilson

Xavier Gipson

  

WR

Allen Lazard

Malachi Corley

  

TE

Tyler Conklin

Jeremy Ruckert

Kenny Yeboah

 
  • White = free agent
  • Green = role is safe
  • Yellow = chance to start
  • Orange = likely a depth piece
  • Red = roster spot not guaranteed

 

New York Jets Free Agency 2025

  • CURRENT PROJECTED 2025 SALARIES: ~$261M
  • CURRENT ESTIMATED 2025 CAP SPACE: ~$15M

 

 

 

New York Jets Salary Cap Situation

The Rodgers situation really throws a curveball because they have not formally released him. They basically have two options - eat the full dead cap this year or use the June 1 Designation to spread it out. His full dead cap hit would be around $49 million dollars.

Along with Rodgers, I expect them to release Davante Adams and Allen Lazard. Those two moves which actually bring their cap space to around ~$50 million. By cutting Rodgers and absorbing his full cap hit this year, that would drop their cap remaining cap space to $24M.

The new regime might just want to clean the slate as best as they can now to not impede their future plans. So maybe they do absorb the full cap hit now. If they want a little more flexibility, they will use the designation. Regardless, the structure with the void years will hurt the Jets over the next few years. But here’s how the options would impact 2025 free agency, the focus of this discussion.

  • FULL AARON RODGERS HIT PROJECTED 2025 SALARIES: ~$249M
  • FULL AARON RODGERS HIT ESTIMATED 2025 CAP SPACE: ~$24M
  • POST JUNE-1 HIT PROJECTED 2025 SALARIES: ~$237M
  • POST JUNE-1 HIT ESTIMATED 2025 CAP SPACE: ~$36M

 

 

 

Jets Quarterback Depth Chart

Aaron Rodgers: The Aaron Rodgers era is over. And the bet that other teams are making here is simple. They are betting on the Jets incompetence. That’s certainly what Aaron Rodgers and his agent will be selling - that the New York Jets create an environment that is impossible to win in. But you? Your organization is better. And with Rodgers, you will win.

Joe Flacco and Geno Smith both won NFL Comeback Player of the Year after leaving the Jets. And Sam Darnold just finished third. That and the weird stuff that has come out about Jets ownership via the New York Times, it shouldn’t be too hard of a sell. The rumors are already swirling of potential landing spots.

  • Las Vegas Raiders: The Raiders make a lot of sense given their vacancy. Pete Carrol has faced Rodgers plenty of times and Tom Brady has a say in the matter. Though Davante Adams may have some things to say about that organization that could deter him.
  • New York Giants: Rodgers might not even need to change apartments if he were to go the Giants. We already wrote about free agency for them, as team that currently has zero quarterbacks under contract.
  • Cleveland  Browns: Plain and simple, the Browns are desperate for a quarterback who isn’t a complete loser. Though they had Baker Mayfield and look at him now. If Rodgers believes the notion that bad organizations create impossible conditions, he should be weary of the Browns.
  • Pittsburgh Steelers: Both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields are free agents. And they’ve told us Wilson won’t be back. Mike Tomlin might just be the type of no nonsense coach that Rodgers needs.
  • Tennessee Titans: They have the top overall pick. But they might not like this QB class. Rodgers could be a bridge year QB for this team.
  • New Orleans Saints: They would need to trade Derek Carr somehow. But new head coach Kellen Moore could push for their guy. Mickey Loomis and the gang haven’t been opposed to moving money around to make things happen.
  • Los Angeles Rams: You’d have to buy into some conspiracy theories on this one. It’s incredibly rare I would link a Daily Mail article. But, if the Rams are moving on from Matthew Stafford and it has nothing to do with the Rams willingness to compete as an organization, there exists a crazy world where they move on from Stafford and bring in Rodgers. I don’t buy it but crazier things have happened.

Tyrod Taylor: Taylor is under contract for 2025 and there really isn’t a huge benefit cap-wise to release him ($1.1M in saving with $5.8M in dead cap). If the Jets were to fulling lean into the “bridge year” and eat the cap hit for Rodgers, it’s not as crazy as you might think to roll out Tyrod Taylor. The Patriots just started the season with Jacoby Brissett.

Jordan Travis: The Jets drafted Travis in the 5th round of the 2025 NFL Draft as a development project. He badly broke/dislocated his ankle in his senior year at Florida State so there was zero chance he was ready to go. He’s still working his way back but, if everything goes according to plan, he should be recovered for this season.

We did a study this offseason on Where Elite Quarterbacks Are Drafted. And it’s safe to say that very few ever come from the fifth round. But the study did provide some positivity for Jordan Travis. When we do have hits coming from later on, it often coincides with REALLY good quarterback draft classes with multiple hits ahead. With folks generally feeling pretty good about Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, Bo Nix, Michael Penix, and JJ McCarthy, there is a glimmer of hope for Travis.

JETS QB FREE AGENCY TAKE: If the Jets plan to compete this year, it’s unlikely that the starting quarterback is on the roster. Proceeding with Tyrod Taylor and Jordan Travis at QB is essentially declaring this a bridge year. Skipping free agency could mean they are also looking towards the draft.

If they do want to compete this year, here are their best bets. Some of these quarterbacks are obviously older or more of a “sure thing” but these are the guys I would take a stab on. A guy like Sam Darnold might not want to give the Jets a second chance but you never know.

POSSIBLE FREE AGENT OPTIONS: Sam Darnold, Russell WIilson, Justin Fields, Mac Jones, Jameis Winston

 

 

 

Jets Running Back Depth Chart

Breece Hall: Of the active running backs in the NFL, Breece Hall is top 10 in yards from scrimmage per game. The nine players ahead are Christian McCaffrey, Saquon Barkley, Jonathan Taylor, Alvin Kamara, Jahmyr Gibbs, Bijan Robinson, Josh Jacobs, Derrick Henry, and Nick Chubb. So that’s pretty good company.

The question isn’t whether Hall is good, the question is whether the Jets will be in a position to give a running back a second contract after this season. If they are truly going the bridge year route, that could even put him on the trade block. I expect him to be a Jet this year but the future in New York is a little murky.

Braelon Allen: The Jets draft Braelon Allen to both backup Breece Hall and potentially offer more of a bruiser compliment to his playstyle. Not only did he provide that but he flashed a bit of ability in the pass-game when given the chance, especially in his start against the Dolphins. If you are holding Braelon Allen in your dynasty leagues, you are rooting for Breece Hall to either be traded or for him to walk next year in free agency.

Isaiah Davis: What really makes the Breece Hall situation interesting is the presence of Isaiah Davis. The Jets took two stabs on backs in the 2024 draft and both of them looked pretty decent when given the opportunity. Both backs are obviously on cheap rookie deals through 2027.

Kene Nwangwu: The Jets signed the All Pro caliber return specialist mid year. And he actually returned a kick for a touchdown in his first game active. In the next game he suffered a season ending hand injury. He’s now an unrestricted free agent and it’s entirely up to the new regime if they bring him back.

JETS RB FREE AGENCY TAKE: Barring a Breece Hall trade, I don’t expect the Jets to be major players in free agency. They have Hall, Allen, and Davis at the top. Plus Xavier Gipson handles most of the return work (and they could bring Nwangwu back). Even if they were to trade Hall in a bridge year, would they really go out and spend up on a replacement in free agency?

The Hall decision is more of a long term one. He’s a good player so keeping and extending him makes sense. But signing a guy isn’t always about how good he is - you also have to consider whether you can replace a certain percentage of his production at a cheaper cost. If the Jets let Hall walk in free agency after this year, the max compensatory pick they could get back is a third rounder and they would have to avoid signing any major free agents to get it. After what we saw from Saquon Barkley, teams could be willing to pay a pretty penny via trade now for Breece Hall. Something to think about.

  • POSSIBLE FREE AGENT OPTIONS: N/A

 

 

 

Jets Wide Receiver Depth Chart

Davante Adams: Davante Adams came over to join Aaron Rodgers in a move that made sense at the time. But, with Aaron Rodgers out, it seems unlikely the Adams is back. His contract is built for it with nearly $30 million in savings and only $8.4M in dead cap.

Adams is still capable of big things - he did have six touchdowns over this last five games including a game that saw 198 yards and two TDs. Whether or not he will follow Aaron Rodgers is a question but Adams is a guy I’m buying in dynasty if I’m competing now. He seems to care deeply about his legacy so I imagine he’s going to end up with a quarterback he likes on a team that is competitive.

Garrett Wilson: There had been rumors swirling of Garrett Wilson requesting a trade. And there’s no doubt that he has been unhappy. But Ian Rappaport, among many others, had tied those trade request rumors to Aaron Rodgers being the quarterback in 2025. With Rodgers now officially out, we don’t know for sure if Wilson wants out because of the organization or because of the quarterback. Or if he truly wants out at all.

For me, this is a guy I’m buying if I play dynasty fantasy football. Drafting him in early best ball or in 2025 is a much bigger gamble because we don’t know who his quarterback will be this year. But this is a talented player that has three straight 1,000+ yard seasons in the NFL despite questionable QB play. And he’s only 24 years old. That’s the exact kind of guy you want in dynasty for when he maximizes his potential.

Allen Lazard: Lazard was still technically the WR3 here under Rodgers. But he’s not been nearly as productive in his Jets days as he was in Green Bay. They will free up $6.6M by releasing the 29 year old wide receiver. In this WR market, he’ll probably get a look from someone else as depth even if he doesn’t follow Rodgers to his next team.

Xavier Gipson: Gipson returned virtually all the punts and kicks for the Jets. If the new regime is dead set on bringing in their own guy, he can be released for $1M in savings with only $5M in dead cap. But he’s on a cheap deal for 2025 and can be brought back in 2026 as a restrcted free agent so I expect him to be back as depth.

Malachi Corley: The 2024 third round pick didn’t have much of a role as Rodgers was focused more on his old friends and the young studs Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall. With the Davante Adams and Allen Lazard expected to be out, now is his chance to carve himself out a role in this offense. Right now folks might not realize the opportunity in front of him so he’s a hold for me, just to see what happens.

Charles Irvin: Charles Irvin is a solid contributor on special teams. Unfortunately he tore his ACL late in the season which is terrible timing for him as he becomes an unrestricted free agent. If he’s not back in 2025, there are a lot of special teams snaps they will need to replace.

Malik Taylor: Taylor is another guy who doesn’t offer much on offense but contributes on special teams. He only appeared in a few games in 2023 and missed all of 2024 with an injury. That makes it tough to predict the new regime to bring him back as an unrestricted free agent.

JETS WR FREE AGENCY TAKE: If things pan out the way I expect, this team will be THIN at wide receiver behind Garrett Wilson. If Wilson’s trade rumors are not related to Rodgers, well, they would be back at square one. Let’s assume for now that he remains a Jet.

Garrett Wilson primarily plays out wide. But he could absolutely be used in a role like CeeDee Lamb, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, or Chris Godwin where he plays slot in 3 WR sets and flanker in 2 WR sets. In fact, I think that would be his ideal usage, especially for fantasy football production. For that to work, they would need to bring in a bigger split end that can tether his foot to the line. Otherwise, they could have Wilson operate in that role and bring in smaller guys to play slot or stretch the field.

Outside of the draft, here are the best options for either role. As part of a rebuild, they might want to steer away from the older guys.

 

 

 

Jets Tight End Depth Chart

Tyler Conklin: As far as two-way tight ends who can both block and catch passes, Tyler Conklin is arguably the best one available in free agency. Not that he’s great - it’s just a weak class. If the Jets bring in a veteran QB to compete now, it makes sense to bring Conklin back. But, if they are planning to rebuild, they should probably let someone else pay Conklin. He turns 30 this year.

Jeremy Ruckert: Ruckert operated as the TE2 here and ran the second most routes behind Conklin. He stands to benefit the most if Conklin walks as the Jets might not be in a rush to add a free agent tight end. The elite pass-catching tight ends are expected to go fairly early in this draft so Ruckert becomes a sneaky stash in your dynasty leagues.

Kenny Yeboah: Yeboah was always a project. In high school he was a wide receiver that also played basketball before converting to tight end in college. If he’s going to succeed in this league it would be in a pass-catching capacity which is obviously more interesting to fantasy than the pure blockers. Him pushing for work could hurt than fantasy value of Ruckert if it pushes him to an inline role.

That said, Yeboah has spent most of his time with the Jets bouncing up and down from the practice squad and he’s currently an unrestricted free agent. The new regime might not even bring him back so we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.

JETS TE FREE AGENCY TAKE: As it stands, Jeremy Ruckert is the only tight end under contract. They are also likely to release Davante Adams and Allen Lazard. If things break right here, he could be in line for some targets are the third or even second target on the team after Garrett Wilson. That alone is worth the stash.

The best “two way” tight ends are Tyler Conklin and Austin Hooper. Not sure how interesting that is for the Jets. For pure pass-catchers there are guys like Juwan Johnson and Mike Gesicki. Then there’s a ton of pure blocking tight ends out there like Mo Alie-Cox, Harrison Bryant, Ross Dwelley etc. They will need depth in this room so will be interesting to see how things shake out.

POSSIBLE FREE AGENT OPTIONS: Tyler Conklin, Juwan Johnson, Mike Gesicki, Kenny Yeboah, Mo Alie-Cox, Harrison Bryant, Ross Dwelley.