What is a rebuild to you?
It's a term and action with different meanings to everyone in professional sports. Sometimes it implies a complete tear down, shipping players and coaches off in return for draft capital as a means of starting over completely anew. Other times, it means only doing that to a minimal extent - trading a star player or two in hopes of replacing them down the road.
With one action, the Cleveland Browns can accidentally kick off the former type of rebuild, especially as star defender Myles Garrett is still insistent on being traded and as that request seems to have the potential of a ripple effect on the team. That action is, of course, signing Aaron Rodgers if he were to be cut by the New York Jets this offseason.
Signing Aaron Rodgers would prove Myles Garrett right about trade request
Rodgers, who is apparently not coming back to the Jets in 2025, might end up being a June 1 designation ahead of this year's free agency period. If that's the case, then Rodgers would be free to sign with any team he wants during that time, including the Browns.
Rodgers' 2024 season with New York wasn't completely a dud. He threw for 3,897 yards and 28 touchdowns, but turnovers plagued him. However, he managed to have the most passing yards for the Jets since 2016 and the year of Ryan Fitzpatrick's reign. He also still has the 14th most touchdown passes of all time in Jets franchise history.
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His age and injury history, however, make him a very poor candidate for Cleveland to go after in free agency. 2024 saw Cleveland suffer because of an Achilles injury to Deshaun Watson, lingering injury recovery from Nick Chubb, some lower body injuries to Garrett, and multiple injuries on the offensive line. They cannot afford to take a chance on someone of Rodgers' age and history.
Signing him would just prove that Garrett was right about the direction of the team. His public trade request came after he had met with the Browns front office to discuss the future, and clearly, he was so dissatisfied with their response to him that he needed to ask out. An idea like signing Rodgers as a bridge quarterback is a bad one, and it's the type of idea that'd likely keep Garrett's trade request active.
Cleveland will have some options on the trade market and in free agency at quarterback other than Rodgers - Derek Carr and Kirk Cousins seem the likeliest to land with the team given their fits and familiarity with Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski and their respective teams' unwillingness to pay them to not play.
Rodgers should be the last resort for the Browns, especially if they're still trying to woo Garrett and bring him back in 2025.