Jets owner Woody Johnson suggested the benching of quarterback Aaron Rodgers after a Week 4 loss to the Broncos. What will Rodgers do about it?
He presumably could do nothing. Take it. Dismiss the story as fake (it’s not). Accept Johnson’s likely position that it was a joke (if it was, it wasn’t funny).
Or he could put Johnson on the proverbial island, with others who have dared to say or do things Rodgers didn’t like. Friends, family, former employers. Now, his current employer.
Beyond that, Rodgers could decide that his cocktail of chronic injuries will keep him from playing after the bye week. The deeper message to Woody would be, “Go ahead. Play Tyrod Taylor.”
There’s also a chance Rodgers will decide he wants out. To be released. To leave the team, and perhaps to land with a contender that needs a quarterback. (Whether any contender would want him is a different issue.)
It’s hard to imagine Rodgers doing nothing. Remember, Rodgers gave up $35 million in compensation when he joined the Jets in 2023. On the surface, no strings attached. But, c’mon, Rodgers knew that would get him a seat at the table for big moves. He also surely expected it would insulate him against Johnson suggesting, seriously or in jest, that the delicate genius should be given a hard shove to the sideline.
Stay tuned. At some point, Rodgers will make a move. Surely, Rodgers won’t let Woody get away with that. If Rodgers does, what’s the world coming to?
