Why Did Aaron Rodgers Leave the New York Jets? Inside the Details of His Drama-Filled Exit
Aaron Rodgers made his NFL debut in 2005 when he was drafted in the first round by the Green Bay Packers.
Published Sept. 9 2025, 9:24 a.m. ET
As one of the most high-profile players in the league, NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers frequently makes headlines — and the details of his highly-publicized exit from the New York Jets have kept fans tuned in. Find out what caused the star athlete and the team to officially part ways.
Aaron Rodgers made his NFL debut in 2005 when he was drafted in the first round by the Green Bay Packers. He would go on to have a very lengthy tenure on the team, from 2005 until 2022. Aaron eventually went to the Jets from 2023 to 2024 before signing with his current team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, in 2025.
Why did Aaron Rodgers leave the New York Jets?
After two intensely rocky seasons, most football fans were not surprised to learn that Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets parted ways — and the details of the split were ripe for headlines.
During the 2024 offseason, Rodgers met with Jets head coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey, who informed the famed quarterback that his time with the team was officially done.
Following leaving the team, Aaron spoke about the tense meeting where he claimed Aaron Glenn went “rogue,” according to Yahoo! Sports. "I figured that when I flew across the country on my own dime that there was going to be a conversation," Rodgers said.
"And the confusing thing to me and the strange thing was, when I went out there, I meet with the coach ... We start talking and he runs out of the room,” he continued. “I think we're gonna have this long conversation, and 20 seconds in, he goes — I'm talking to the GM about something, and he leans to the edge of his seat and goes, 'Are you sure you wanna play football?' And I go, 'Yeah, I'm interested.' And he says, 'We're going in a different direction at quarterback.'
Leading up to the meeting that ended his time with the team, Aaron suffered a season-ending injury to his Achilles. He was also the source of Jets fans’ backlash, who didn’t exactly welcome him to the team with open arms.
Although time has passed, Aaron recently made it clear that things are still tense between him and the Jets.
On Sunday, Sept. 7, following his victory over the Jets with his current team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, Aaron reveled in beating his former team. “I was happy to beat everybody associated with the Jets,” he said, per USA Today.
He further shared how he felt the difference in response from fans compared to the last time he played at MetLife Stadium. “The energy definitely felt different today,” Aaron said, noting the selective boos from the crowd. “Anybody who was there could feel that there was a major difference.”
“I’m not sensitive about that. I respect that. I kind of like that,” he continued. “But there were probably people in the organization that didn’t think I could play anymore so it was nice to (show) those people I still can.”