By Zack Rosenblatt and RJ Kraft The Athletic
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New York Jets coach Aaron Glenn wasted no time addressing the status of quarterback Aaron Rodgers in his introductory press conference with fellow new hire — general manager Darren Mougey.

“Aaron Rodgers will be talked about,” Glenn said near the end of his opening remarks. “We’ve already texted that communication with Aaron Rodgers. And as we continue to look at the roster, we’ll make decisions accordingly and that’s with a number of people on the team.”

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Glenn was asked about the process surrounding a decision on Rodgers and he said there was no timetable, but that getting the right answer was paramount.

“Me and Mougey are going to sit and talk and go over the whole roster,” Glenn said. “I will tell you now that is going to be the answer to a number of questions when it comes to the roster in general. We are looking forward to that process. I can’t tell you how long that process will be but the thing is we are going to make sure we get the right answer and we are not going to rush to this answer because we are going to the right answer.”

During a media scrum after the press conference, Glenn added, “this thing is not about Aaron Rodgers. It is about the roster.”

Jets owner Woody Johnson told reporters regarding Rodgers’ future on the roster, “I’m going to leave that to them,” referring to the team’s new regime. He said he will not voice his opinion on the quarterback and that if Glenn and Mougey want Rodgers back, then he’s fine with that.

Rodgers finished the regular season with 3,897 passing yards, 28 touchdowns, 11 interceptions and a 90.5 passer rating, his lowest in any season where he played at least 15 games. In the season finale, a four-touchdown game against the Miami Dolphins saw Rodgers become the fifth QB in NFL history to throw at least 500 touchdown passes.

The four-time MVP played in every game this season for the Jets — a year after suffering an Achilles injury four snaps into the 2023 season. Rodgers was acquired in an April 2023 trade with the Green Bay Packers and the Jets went 6-12 in the 18 games started by the veteran quarterback.

On his end, the 41-year-old has not committed to returning for his 21st NFL season in 2025 but discussed the topic during exit meetings earlier this month with New York Jets team brass.

“I think everybody understands that it’s gonna come down to a GM and a coach and myself and whether we all want to do a dance together or if it’s not in the cards,” Rodgers said on Jan. 16 in an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show.”

Those comments echoed a bit of what he said at the close of the season.

“I just need some time away to think about my future in the game and my future here if they want me to be a part of the next phase or if they’re ready to move on,” Rodgers said. “Either way, I’m thankful for my two years here.”

The salary cap implications surrounding a decision on Rodgers’ future are significant. If the Jets cut or trade Rodgers before June 1, they will incur a $49 million dead cap charge, an accumulation of prorated bonuses, which is significant. Even worse: The Jets would lose $25.5 million in cap space by doing it this way.

The benefit would be taking on that dead cap hit now and clearing the cap sheet for the future.

If the Jets cut or trade him post-June 1 — same for if Rodgers retires while still on the Jets’ roster — then that $49 million dead cap charge can be spread over two years: $14 million in 2025 and $35 million in 2026. The Jets would save $9.5 million in cap space in this scenario, though that wouldn’t affect their cap sheet until June 1.

If Rodgers returns in 2025, the cap hit is small for a veteran quarterback ($23.5 million) but that doesn’t factor in that $35 million roster bonus, which would be prorated through 2029 for cap purposes (due to void years, used to spread out a cap hit even when a player is no longer on the roster). So if Rodgers sticks with the Jets and doesn’t adjust his contract, the dead-cap charge jumps to $63 million in 2026, which then complicates things next offseason.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.