A deal to send Aaron Rodgers to the Jets is still far from the finish line, but in the vague language of sources an ESPN report (and similar reporting out of New York) suggesting the Jets are "becoming more confident" in their ability to trade for Rodgers constitutes fairly significant progress.
As Jets get closer to trading for Aaron Rodgers, consider these five things
The Jets met with Rodgers earlier this week, and there is reportedly growing optimism that a trade with the Packers will happen.
March 9, 2023 at 5:41PM
We already knew the Jets and Rodgers met earlier this week, something that wouldn't and couldn't have happened without the blessing of his current employer, the Packers.
As we ponder a Rodgers trade to the Jets becoming reality at some point soon, here are five things to consider:
1. It sounds like a pretty sweet deal ... for the Jets: Because of the structure of Rodgers' contract, the Jets would have cap hits of just $15.8 million for Rodgers in 2023 and $32.5 million in 2024 — exceedingly cheap for a four-time MVP whose last two awards came in 2020 and 2021. The Packers, meanwhile, would be saddled with a $40.3 million dead money cap charge for Rodgers this season. Plus, it is being suggested that the Jets might not have to give up a first-round pick in the deal. Maybe Green Bay really does just want to move on.
2. A trade would jump start the Jordan Love era in Green Bay, which is to say it would usher in a lot unknowns. While the Packers have been busy making sure everyone thinks they are comfortable with and excited about Love, the reality is that he has thrown 83 NFL passes. He might be great. He might be awful. He'll probably be somewhere in between. But pretending to know what he will be at this point is silly.
3. Don't you think the Packers have deep regret over not doing this a year earlier? They could have dealt Rodgers when he had much higher value, avoided 365 days of drama and had another year to evaluate Love. Instead, they ran it back — understandable since Rodgers was coming off back-to-back MVP seasons — missed the playoffs and are a year behind in a likely rebuild.
4. I thought Rodgers staying in Green Bay last season was a good reason for the Vikings to lean into the "rebuild" part of their competitive rebuild — perhaps even trade Kirk Cousins before the start of the 2022 season. Instead, as noted, the Packers faltered and the Vikings ran away with the division. So much for what we think we know, which is a good way of saying this: Rodgers being out of the division would theoretically make life easier on the Vikings (and rising Lions), but it shouldn't really alter their offseason plans.
5. If this feels familiar, well, it happened 15 years ago. The legendary Brett Favre, after retiring and unretiring a few too many times, was traded to the Jets. Aaron Rodgers, who like Love had sat for three years behind a future Hall of Famer, took over. Favre went to New York, started hot and had the Jets at 8-3, then tore his biceps. He struggled the rest of the year, was cut, then wound up of course with the Vikings. So ... Rodgers to the Vikings at some point in the future? Let's just see what happens in the next few days first.
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