With former Broncos' Assistant GM Darren Mougey now in New York, the Jets seem to want to copy the Denver Broncos. The Aaron Rodgers era in New York will last only two seasons, as it was announced last week that the Jets would be moving on from Aaron Rodgers in 2025.
Here is the contract breakout from Adam Schefter:
The Jets will face $49M in dead money when they eventually release Aaron Rodgers. They can take the full hit this year or, more likely, designate him as a post-6/1 cut.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 13, 2025
As a 6/1 cut, they’d carry his $23.5M cap hit until June 1, when it drops to $14M—saving $9.5M. However,… https://t.co/Gd4d7DAqGn
Darren Mougey spent years in the Denver Broncos' front office and was obviously with the team when the team made the move to trade for Russell Wilson and then eventually cut him. Mougey has truly seen it all, as he was then a part of the team that drafted Bo Nix back in the 2024 NFL Draft. If there is an GM in the NFL who knows how to navigate a tough QB situation, it's Mougey.
This could actually benefit the Jets in the long-term, as the immediate fallout of cutting Aaron Rodgers might not sit well for Jets' fans, but Broncos' fans also felt similarly at the time when the team cut Russell Wilson. And fortunately, the Jets do not have to take on an $85 million dead cap hit that Denver is currently dealing with.
But the major issue for the New York Jets is that there is no clear-cut "Bo Nix" in the 2025 NFL Draft. The draft class is quite weak at the QB position, so the Jets may not be able to draft and start a first-round rookie. Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward are the top QBs of this class, but neither of them are probably going to be on the board when the Jets make their seventh overall selection.
This could make life very hard for Darren Mougey, who may have to bring in a one-year rental like Kirk Cousins or Jameis Winston. After that, the Jets may look to a later round to see if there is a QB worth developing.
With the success that the Denver Broncos found in cutting Russell Wilson and finding the franchise QB the very next draft, I would have to imagine that Darren Mougey is using some of that experience to help guide him in the rebuild of the New York Jets.
It definitely looks like a long-term process for the New York Jets, who the Denver Broncos beat in the 2024 NFL Season. Funnily enough, the Jets' season truly seemed to unravel after that loss, which I am sure was a game they expected to win. Had the Jets won, they would have improved to 3-1 on the season, which could have continued in future weeks.
The Broncos and Jets have had a bit of a rivarly in recent years, so it is kind of funny that the Jets also took from the Broncos to find their new GM.