New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers has expressed his “love and respect” for Joe Douglas after the general manager was fired from his role.

The executive’s five-year tenure at MetLife Stadium was brought to a close this month as owner Woody Johnson took action following a 3–8 start to the NFL season. The move came after head coach Robert Saleh paid the price for the Jets’ 2-3 record in the opening five weeks of the campaign, as he dismissed from his post.

Meanwhile, that upheaval has been accompanied by speculation that quarterback Rodgers could be open to playing elsewhere in 2025, according to a report in the The Athletic. During the Jets’ sluggish start to the campaign, the veteran has completed 241 of 380 passes for 2,442 yards, 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Amid the rumors surrounding the 40-year-old’s future in New York, he has now broken his silence on the departure of aforementioned general manager Douglas. Speaking on The Pat McAfee Show, he said: “Well, I didn’t know (it was going to happen). I was on a plane about to head back to California and I got a call.

“I love Joe. I spent a lot of time with Joe, a lot of conversations. He’s a f—— great man. He’s a damn good general manager. I really enjoyed our conversations. I’m disappointed because I had a hand in it. I had an opportunity to play better and to keep him here. So I feel bad about that, because he’s a great human.”

Rodgers continued by paying tribute to the fired Jets figure as he acknowledged that he holds Douglas in high esteem from their time together at MetLife Stadium. He continued: “The human aspect of this is tough… Joe is such a great dude and I have so much love and respect for him.

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Joe Douglas has been fired from his role as the general manager of the New York Jets

Joe Douglas has been fired from his role as the general manager of the New York Jets ( 

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“I can’t say I was fully surprised, there was a helicopter that landed at practice on that Tuesday, and I felt something crazy was about to go down. “I just knew something might be going down here and I was like, ‘Damn, I hope it’s not Joe.'”

Divulging details on his own future with the Jets, Rodgers also hit back at reports that he has set his sights on playing elsewhere next season. He asserted: “As far as my future goes, I haven’t told anybody in my life that I wanna play in 2025 and not on the Jets.

“That’s 100 percent false and I actually said the opposite. I’m going to wait and see what happens at the end of the season and if they want me back. There’s a lot of things out of my control… But I’ve really enjoyed my time in New York.

Rodgers added: “Obviously we haven’t had the success that we’ve all wanted to have but I’ve made some great friendships on the team. I’ve enjoyed living in Jersey. I’ve enjoyed time in the city and getting to know the fans. I came here to win, so I’m not jumping off ship, like ‘I definitely want to play and not in New York.'”