Why Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets broke up

The New York Jets have told quarterback Aaron Rodgers that he’s not returning to the team next season.

Head coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey, who both joined the team in January, said Thursday that they informed Rodgers in a meeting last week that they plan to “move in a different direction.”

“It was important to have this discussion now to provide clarity and enable each of us the proper time to plan for our respective futures,” Glenn and Mougey said in a statement. “We want to thank him for the leadership, passion, and dedication he brought to the organization and wish him success moving forward.”

There are at least a few reasons that could explain why Rodgers didn’t work out as a Jet.

He’s had two back-to-back subpar seasons

Two seasons ago, the quarterback’s arrival to the beleaguered — and possibly cursed — New York franchise inspired hope. Those hopes were quickly dashed in his first game debut with the Jets when he suffered a season-ending Achilles tendon tear. And after recovering from that injury, the quarterback didn’t return good as new.

With 3,897 yards and 28 touchdowns this past season, Rodgers posted the third-best single-season totals in franchise history. That stat sounds better than it played in reality, when you consider that the New York team — with the exception of “Broadway” Joe Namath — has had a long history of disappointing quarterbacks. The Jets finished Rodgers’ first full year 5-12.

We are far away from the Green Bay Packers-era Rodgers. He holds the highest career passer rating in NFL history, led the Packers to the Super Bowl and picked up Super Bowl MVP, and is likely a shoe-in for the Pro Football Hall of Fame upon retirement.

He’s been dinged by controversy after controversy

The now-former Jet comes with baggage. Off the field, Rodgers has often stirred controversy for publicly voicing his polarizing views, including his rejection of COVID-19 vaccines.

Rodgers has made news for sharing conspiracy theories during his regular appearances on ESPN’s “The Pat McAfee Show.” He once alleged that late-night TV host Jimmy Kimmel would be exposed as an acquaintance of convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. The network walked back his comments after Kimmel threatened legal action.

Missed team obligations have also put him on notice. Last summer, he skipped a couple of minicamp practices to vacation in Egypt. The team fined him over $50,000 for the “unexcused” absence.

Team leadership reportedly tried to rein in Rodgers’ personal media engagements and to ensure his full commitment to the team. The Athletic reported that he was presented with a plan last week with conditions he would need to follow to stay with the team in 2025. Among them, he would no longer be able make outside media appearances, including his regular, paid stints on the McAfee show.

Some fans have said his controversial opinions, coupled with his mediocre play, are reason enough to sack him.

“He’s a far-right nut, and I don’t go for those people,” Seth Sherman of Flushing, N.Y., told Gothamist after this past Jets season.

Rodgers also has a reputation of clashing with team officials. He was locked in a power struggle with his old Packers coach, and on the Jets, he’s hinted at his discontent with former team owner Woody Johnson.

Whatever the case, Glenn and Mougey may have just wanted a reset.

NPR has reached out to Rodgers’ representatives for comment about his departure. Last month, in response to a question about his future with the team, Rodgers said the decision would be made between the incoming coach, the general manager and himself.