Jets' Jermaine Johnson reveals Aaron Rodgers’ generous $30,000 move after DE's brutal season-ending injury

Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets had an acrimonious 2024 season. The quarterback played well below the standards of his career, and a season with many expectations ended with a huge disappointment. The 5-12 record was a true reflection of the organization.

Rodgers' own performance raised many questions during the season. It got to a point where owner Woody Johnson wanted to bench the quarterback after just four games, and ultimately, the firings of Robert Saleh and Joe Douglas turned a promising season into a house cleaning before the end of December.

One thing that he has taken from his Green Bay days is how he treats his teammates. He has been in New York for the past two years, but a recent example told by defense end Jermaine Johnson highlights how much he cares for the guys who wear the same jersey:

On "The Official Jets Podcast", Johnson recalled how he asked Rodgers to use his private jet to fly coast to coast for treatment, promising to pay for the full cost in return. Rodgers agreed, setting up everything necessary for Johnson.

"I'm getting on the flight, and I said, 'Hey, you never sent me the wire information to pay this flight," Johnson said. "And Aaron goes, 'Don't worry about. ...You handle everything for everybody in your life, now is the time period you have to focus on receiving help. ...Let me do this for you.'"

Johnson, just like the quarterback, suffered an Achilles injury that made him lose most of the season, even though it happened in 2024 as opposed to Rodgers' torn Achilles in 2023. They'll have started just three games together if the veteran moves to another team (or retires) in 2025.

Even with Rodgers, Jets remain with longest playoff drought in NFL

The last time that New York made the postseason was 2010. That year, they qualified with the sixth seed in the AFC – back then, the playoffs had just six teams.

But that did not stop the Jets from making a fantastic run. They first eliminated Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts in the Wild Card Round, but the greatest upset came a week later when they surprised the No. 1 New England Patriots, led by Tom Brady, winning at Gillette Stadium at Foxborough. Their run ended in the AFC Championship Game to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Since then, they tried all kinds of quarterbacks, coaching staffs and decision-makers to lead the franchise back into the postseason, but it has not happened. Trading for Aaron Rodgers was supposed to fix the quarterback position after a decade of poor play, but it brought a lot of problems and a single 5-12 season.