Jets owner Woody Johnson suggested benching Aaron Rodgers before firing Robert Saleh, Joe Douglas: report

NEW YORK — Before the Jets fired Robert Saleh and Joe Douglas, team owner Woody Johnson reportedly suggested starting the in-season reckoning with Aaron Rodgers.

Johnson proposed benching Rodgers as the starting quarterback for Tyrod Taylor following the Jets’ 10-9 home loss to the Denver Broncos in Week 4, according to The Athletic, which cited multiple sources.

The Jets fell to 2-2 with the loss, and Johnson reportedly believed Rodgers — who completed 24-of-42 passes for 225 yards during that rainy, touchdown-less afternoon — was holding the team back.

The bold suggestion came as a shock to Douglas and the coaches, who persuaded Johnson against benching Rodgers, suspecting it would go over poorly with the veteran quarterback and his teammates, according to The Athletic.

Johnson would go on to fire Saleh as head coach after Week 5 and Douglas as general manager on Tuesday after Week 11.

Rodgers, who turns 41 next month, has started all 11 games for the disappointing Jets, who fell to 3-8 with Sunday’s 28-27 home loss to the Indianapolis Colts.

Douglas acquired Rodgers during the 2023 offseason in a franchise-altering trade with the Green Bay Packers, envisioning the four-time NFL MVP as the missing piece on a Super Bowl-hopeful roster flush with offensive weapons and defensive talent.

But Rodgers suffered an Achilles tear four snaps into last season, and he has not produced at his standard superstar level this year in his return. He has thrown for 2,442 yards, 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions, often appearing to lack the mobility to make plays outside of the pocket like he has throughout his career.

Rodgers said last week that he thinks he would like to play beyond this season, but The Athletic reported it is increasingly unlikely he does so with the Jets.

A source shared a similar sentiment to ESPN, saying they would be “shocked” to see Johnson roll with Rodgers again next year.

None of the money on Rodgers’ contract for 2025 is guaranteed.

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