The New York Jets might have pushed Aaron Rodgers out of the door by demanding he no longer make any paid outside media appearances and insisting he attend the entire voluntary offseason program. It must have been a bluff, because both are against the rules of the NFL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement and would have triggered a response from the NFL Players Association.

Various sources reported that Mr. Rodgers and the Jets have decided to part ways after the 41-year-old quarterback recently met with the new head coach, Aaron Glenn, and the general manager, Darren Mougey, at New York. During the meeting, the new Jets regime reportedly said if Mr. Rodgers were to remain with the team he must attend the entire offseason program and would no longer be allowed to make outside media appearances during the season. That would include his regular, weekly paid appearances on ESPN’s “The Pat McAfee Show.”

Mr. Rodgers has been appearing on the show for years and reportedly earns $1 million annually. He often made headlines talking politics or conspiracy theories about vaccines. The Jets likely viewed his appearances as a distraction for a couple of reasons. Normally, it was the first time each week the public and media would hear from Mr. Rodgers about such things as missing part of the OTA, the early-season firing of head coach Robert Saleh, and the weekly demise of the season.

However, according to the CBA, teams have no power to restrict a player’s off-field personal and media activity or penalize him for not participating in any portion of the voluntary offseason workout program.

The Jets have to know this, especially in today’s world of increasing podcast appearances. In addition to the financial gain, professional athletes use appearances on television and podcasts to increase their exposure, grow their brands, expand their sponsorship opportunities, impact their communities, and raise their social influence.

Athletes like Mr. Rodgers can also use those appearances to control the narrative and offer authentic opinions. Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and his brother Jason Kelce have developed “New Heights,” one of the most popular and lucrative podcasts currently available.

Since the days of Lawrence Taylor, players have been making paid outside appearances during their off-days, which are normally Tuesdays. Some of those appearances were simple meet-and-greets, and some were speaking engagements at charity and corporate events. Today’s players are sought after for product launches and promotional campaigns. Not only do they earn extra income, but they also network with people who might be beneficial when their playing careers are over.

As long as the outside paid appearances don’t conflict with the player’s training and practice schedules, there are no grounds for a team to demand he stop doing something in which nearly everyone else in the league is taking part in some manner.

Mr. Rodgers will likely land with a team accepting of his off-the-field schedule if he wants to continue playing. The Pittsburgh Steelers, the Las Vegas Raiders, and the Minnesota Vikings could be in the market for a veteran quarterback.

The Jets, whose only Super Bowl appearance came in Super Bowl III, hoped Mr. Rodgers would lead them to the Promised Land when he was traded from Green Bay in 2023. But any promises went unfilled as Mr. Rodgers went down in the first game of the 2023 season with an Achilles injury and the Jets floundered to a 5-12 record in 2024 despite him playing in all 17 games. He had a decent season statistically, throwing for 3,897 yards with 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. But owner Woody Johnson fired Mr. Saleh after a 2-3 start, and the Jets only regressed under the interim coach, Jeff Ulbrich.

A new regime looking to come in and establish a new culture normally starts from scratch, so the split with Mr. Rodgers isn’t unexpected. Yet the demand he end any outside media appearances and attend all voluntary workouts is a precedent that would make the entire league nervous if Mr. Rodgers called their bluff.