Graziano: Why hasn't Rodgers been released yet? And where he could sign?

While we await a decision from quarterback
Aaron Rodgers on where he’ll play next, it’s worth noting he’s still under contract with the
New York Jets and will be until 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday. That’s because the Jets plan to
release Rodgers with a post-June 1 designation, and the collective bargaining agreement states that a team must wait until “on or after the first day of that league year” to release someone with a post-June 1 designation.
The Jets could have cut Rodgers weeks ago, but that would have meant $49 million in dead salary cap charges accelerating onto their 2025 cap as a result of the prorated signing bonus amounts remaining on his contract. By designating him as a post-June 1 cut, the Jets can spread that $49 million hit out over two years, taking $14 million in dead-money charges this year and the remaining $35 million on their 2026 cap. The Jets must continue to carry his $23.5 million 2025 cap charge until June 2 as though he were still on the roster, even though he’ll be free to sign with any team he wants before then. And on June 2, the Jets will then get their $9.5 million in cap savings ($23.5 million minus the $14 million dead-money charge).
As for where Rodgers will end up -- as of Tuesday morning, it was still
between the
Pittsburgh Steelers and
New York Giants. There are people around the league who believe Rodgers is still holding out at least some hope that the
Minnesota Vikings might turn to him as their veteran “bridge” option after losing
Sam Darnold and
Daniel Jones in free agency. Indications out of Minnesota, however, continue to be that the Vikings aren’t likely to go down that road for fear of impeding
J.J. McCarthy’s path to the starting job once he’s ready.
-- Dan Graziano, national NFL reporter