Aaron Rodgers has fired back at reports suggesting he wants to leave New York Jets.
With the team struggling this season and a playoff run looking nothing more than a distant dream, speculation has been building that he could either retire, or move on.
The four-time NFL MVP was supposed to help lead the Jets back to the playoffs, and perhaps even the Super Bowl, when he signed in 2023.
But things haven’t worked out that way and the organisation has taken drastic action to try and stop the slide.
First it was head coach Robert Salah who was fired in October after a 2-3 start.
And six weeks later, owner Woody Johnson dismissed general manager Joe Douglas after the Jets showed little improvement, now sitting with a 3-8 record through 12 weeks of the season.
With an interim head coach and no full-time GM, things are looking pretty bleak in New York.
Amid all the noise, The Athletic reported last week that Rodgers was open to playing for another team in 2025.
But during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday, Rodgers set the record straight about his situation with the Jets, calling out ‘false’ reports about if – and where – he wants to play next season.
“As far as my future goes, I haven’t told anybody in my life that I wanna play in 2025 and not on the Jets,” the one-time Super Bowl winner said.
“That’s 100 per cent false and I actually said the opposite. I’m going to wait and see what happens at the end of the season and if they want me back.
“There’s a lot of things out of my control… But I’ve really enjoyed my time in New York.
“Obviously we haven’t had the success that we’ve all wanted to have but I’ve made some great friendships on the team.
“I’ve enjoyed living in Jersey. I’ve enjoyed time in the city and getting to know the fans. I came here to win, so I’m not jumping off ship, like ‘I definitely want to play and not in New York.’”
Rodgers also addressed the decision to fire Douglas, describing Gang Green’s former GM as a ‘great man’.
“Well, I didn’t know (it was going to happen). I was on a plane about to head back to California and I got a call,” he continued.
“I love Joe. I spent a lot of time with Joe, a lot of conversations. He’s a f***ing great man. He’s a damn good general manager. I really enjoyed our conversations.
“I’m disappointed because I had a hand in it. I had an opportunity to play better and to keep him here. So I feel bad about that, because he’s a great human.”
“The human aspect of this is tough… Joe is such a great dude and I have so much love and respect for him.”
While he shared warm words on Douglas, Rodgers did admit that the news of Douglas’ firing didn’t really shock him.
“I can’t say I was fully surprised,” he continued.
“There was a helicopter that landed at practice on that Tuesday, and I felt something crazy was about to go down.
“I just knew something might be going down here and I was like, ‘Damn, I hope it’s not Joe.’”
With a fired up Rodgers, the Jets will look to snap their two-game losing streak by bouncing back against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.
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