Steelers, Raiders Emerge As Betting Favorites To Be Aaron Rodgers' Next Team

To no one's surprise, the New York Jets exited the Aaron Rodgers business earlier this week after two losing seasons. The first wasn't his fault. Rodgers tore his Achilles on the NYJ's first drive in Week 1 of 2023. In 2024-25, with a clean bill of health, Rodgers was expected to make the Jets a Super Bowl contender. 

Instead, they had perhaps the most disappointing season, finishing two wins worse in 2024 (5-12) than they did the year before (7-10). Between a championship-caliber defense and a legit No. 1 WR Garrett Wilson, the Jets were considered a "quarterback away" from making the playoffs. 

Former Jets general manager Joe Douglas put all his eggs in the Rodgers' basket, and it cost him and former Jets head coach Robert Saleh their jobs. Now, Rodgers joins Douglas and Saleh in the job market, and sportsbooks are taking bets on where Rodgers will take his talents next. 

Assuming he doesn't retire, Rodgers will be on a team-friendly deal at his next stop. A big reason that the Pittsburgh Steelers are the favorites to sign Rodgers is because they made a similar transaction by inking QB Russell Wilson to a one-year, $1.2 million deal last offseason. 

The Las Vegas Raiders are the second betting choice to sign Rodgers because they have one of the worst quarterback rooms in the league and the only two first-round quarterbacks are mocked ahead of their sixth pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Maybe first-year Raiders head coach Pete Carroll prefers to begin his Vegas residency with a star under center. 

Who will former New York Jets QB Aaron Rodgers play for in 2025-26? (Photo Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)

These aren't markets I usually bet on. Nonetheless, if I had to make a bet on Rodgers' next team, I'd go with the New York Giants at +1200 odds. The Giants could be as desperate to turn around their franchise as the Jets were a few years ago. General manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll could both be red-carded if the Giants miss the playoffs again. 

Plus, the Giants have the third pick in a two-quarterback draft and don't have a starting quarterback on their roster. Even if Miami Hurricanes QB Cam Ward or Colorado Buffaloes QB Shedeur Sanders fall to #3 in the draft, NYG's front office could have them hold the clipboard behind Rodgers for their rookie seasons. 

As a Giants fan, I hope they don't sign Rodgers. However, if he plays next season, he'll probably want an opportunity to start. And knowing how dumb NYG's decision-makers are, the +1200 odds feel like a "plus-expected value" wager. 

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