Hall of Fame QB serves Aaron Rodgers harsh reality check: "You're the bag of bones at the bottom of the cliff"

There has been little solace for Aaron Rodgers over the last two years, apart from the $112.5 million deal he signed after a blockbuster trade to the New York Jets. That trade has clearly not paid dividends, as the franchise officially announced a formal cutting of ties with the four-time NFL MVP.

That crucial decision in February leaves Rodgers on the outside looking in when it comes to landing with an NFL team this summer. There are more than a few QB-needy organizations in the league, but with the NFL draft around the corner and Rodgers' age and injury history a concern, it remains to be seen if any team takes a punt on the five-time All-Pro.

With Rodgers' future up in the air, Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young decided to step in and give him a bit of a reality check. Speaking on "The Rich Eisen Show" on Monday, Young had some advice for Aaron Rodgers as he looks to land on his feet for the 2025 season.

"The toughest thing is you're one of the best in the world at something, and then it ends at a young age, and you wake up the next day and you say, What am I great at?" Young said. "Because I've always said, when your career ends, the dream is shattered. You're the bag of bones at the bottom of the cliff.

"Roger Staubach was the one that told me, when I was retiring he said, 'Steve, just run. Run away. The game will never leave you, but you've got to run.' That's the best advice I could give. Because you have to treat it as a death. It's a death, and you gotta go through all the processes of death, because it's what you're best at."

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Ranking potential landing spots for Aaron Rodgers

To some degree, all of the Las Vegas Raiders, New York Giants, Tennessee Titans and Cleveland Browns need a quarterback to rely on. The question is, can they rely on a man who will be 42 in December?

We've seen icons like Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Brett Favre and Warren Moon play well into their 40s, but Aaron Rodgers is one year removed from a major Achilles tear. He also had a 2.5 touchdown-to-interception ratio last season, which would rank among his third-worst in 16 seasons as a starting QB.

With that in mind, the Raiders make the most sense as a potential landing spot. Given they swung and missed on Matthew Stafford, it's clear the franchise wants to waste no time getting back into contention for the playoffs.

At No. 6 overall, they might have played their way out of Shedeur Sanders consideration in the NFL draft, which would leave someone like Aaron Rodgers as their only viable option for 2025.