While the two-season relationship between the New York Jets and quarterback Aaron Rodgers hasn’t gone anywhere near as well as anyone expected, Rodgers closed out his second year with a major milestone.
Midway through the second quarter of Sunday’s season finale against the Miami Dolphins, Rodgers found tight end Tyler Conklin for a five-yard touchdown pass to open the scoring and give the Jets a 7-0 lead.
AARON RODGERS 500 TDs 🚨
📺: #MIAvsNYJ on FOX
📱: https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/xbxCE5XZ1b— NFL (@NFL) January 5, 2025
The touchdown pass was the 500th of Rodgers’ career, making him the fifth player in NFL history to eclipse the mark.
AARON RODGERS. MR. 500. 👑 pic.twitter.com/2bv3NgZa1t
— NFL (@NFL) January 5, 2025
Rodgers added three more touchdown passes in the 32-20 win. It was his first four-touchdown performance as a member of the Jets, as his last time throwing for four touchdowns in a game was in a December 2021 win over the Chicago Bears while still with the Green Bay Packers.
His future, both with the Jets and in the NFL in general, is currently uncertain, and the NFL’s oldest player alluded to that fact after the game.
“I just need some time away to think about my future in the game and my future here if they want me to be a part of the next phase or be ready to move on,” Rodgers said.
Tom Brady is the NFL’s all-time leader in passing touchdowns with 607. Drew Brees checks in at second all-time with 571. It’s unlikely Rodgers will catch either player, but Peyton Manning’s 539 and Brett Favre’s 508 are certainly in sight should Rodgers return for another season.
