Settling the Rodgers versus Fields Debate Once and For All
The Jets made the right decision, in the long run, trying to rehabilitate the career of Justin Fields over keeping Aaron Rodgers, and it’s much more than money.
Aaron Rodgers seems to have a rejuvenation in Pittsburgh, and some Jets fans and media members are pouncing on that to say the Jets made a mistake, as we all knew they would, if this were to happen.
So, how do the numbers stack up when it comes to Rodgers and Fields?
Let’s dive into the comparison.
Jets Keep Rodgers (using the Steelers contact as a template for renegotiation)
The Steelers signed Rodgers to a one-year contract for $13.65 million with $3 million in incentives.
The cap charge for 2025 is $14.15 million. For the Jets, the structure of the Steelers deal would’ve cost them $13.15 million.
Rodgers said that 2025 will be his final season. So, the Jets would still be on the hook for $35 million in cap charges in 2026(-27). That would be a total of $48.15 million.
Current Situation
Letting Rodgers go will cost the Jets $49 million in cap charges in 2025-26. The Jets will also have $30 million in cap charges for Fields in 2025-27 — if they decide to let him go with a post-June 1 designation in 2026. That’s $79 million in cap charges for two quarterbacks not on the roster moving forward.
However, they can use their top draft pick on a quarterback who will be on a cheap rookie deal for three seasons.
The issue with keeping Rodgers was much more than the cap situation, though. In the NFL, being in the middle of the pack is the worst place to be, especially with a tenuous quarterback situation.
Some out there will say you develop a winning culture by winning football games. That’s wrong. A team builds around a philosophy, and it either wins or loses. The winning is from the philosophical framework and the players brought in.
With Rodgers playing the way he is in Pittsburgh, the Jets would likely be winning football games, at a total cash cost of $88.2 million, while being stuck in quarterback hell.
Letting him go, their total cost for the quarterback position is $100.05 million, with a chance to draft a quarterback at the top of the draft to turn things around. If they are able to do that, the extra cap losses and $16.85 million spent will be well worth it. That’s why it’s better to hit rock bottom in the NFL than to win just enough games with an aging quarterback.
It’s all about the money, and the Jets need to hit on the quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft to make it worth the investment.