If Aaron Rodgers’ New York Jets tenure is over after this season, he made some history on the way out.
The four-time MVP threw the 500th touchdown pass of his career on Sunday, finding tight end Tyler Conklin in the end zone after stepping up in the pocket. It was his 25th touchdown with the Jets after throwing 475 while with the Green Bay Packers.
At 41 years old, Rodgers is the fifth quarterback in NFL history to throw 500 touchdown passes, joining Tom Brady (649), Drew Brees (571), Peyton Manning (539) and Brett Favre (508). The next closest is Philip Rivers with 421.
Funnily enough, all six of those quarterbacks were selected as either starters or reserves in the 2010 Pro Bowl.
Rodgers would go on to throw three more touchdown passes in a 32-20 win over the Miami Dolphins, finishing 23-of-36 for 274 yards, four touchdowns and an interception. It was the kind of performance the Jets were probably expecting when they first acquired him, but alas.
Rodgers entered this game, the last of his second season in a Jets uniform, with his football future as cloudy as it’s ever been. It’s no secret his Jets tenure has been an outright disaster, with him missing nearly the entire first season with a torn Achilles tendon and leading the Jets to a 4-12 record entering Sunday this season.
The Jets have Rodgers under contract for next season, but it’s an open question if they cut him loose in some way. As Yahoo Sports’ Charles Robinson has reported, Rodgers is quietly pushing for another season in New York, which has signed a number of players at his behest, while the Jets seem less enthusiastic. There have also been some rather public jabs thrown.
