A trade that would send Aaron Rodgers from the Green Bay Packers to the New York Jets has yet to materialize. Could this trade package get a deal done?
The Aaron Rodgers trade saga, much like the Aaron Rodgers decision timeline, is going on for a lengthy amount of time. Rodgers revealed on March 15 that he intends to play for the New York Jets this upcoming season, ending a 17-year stint with the Green Bay Packers.
Yet, the two teams have yet to agree to terms on a trade package, and they are each playing a game of chicken.
Green Bay obviously wants a lot in return for a four-time NFL MVP and former Super Bowl champion quarterback.
As for the Jets, Yahoo Sports’ Charles Robinson said in a recent appearance on Wilde and Tausch on ESPN Milwaukee that team owner Woody Johnson is unwilling to give up the first-round pick that the Packers are asking for. That stems from Rodgers’ comments on The Pat McAfee Show that he was “90-percent” leaning towards retiring before entering his “darkness retreat.”
With the NFL Draft less than two weeks away, the clock is ticking to get a deal done, and the Jets’ picks are valuable right now. So, what could get a deal done?
NFL rumors: This trade package could send Aaron Rodgers to the Jets
So, per Robinson, the Packers are looking for a second-round pick in 2023 and a guaranteed first-round pick in 2024 from the Jets for Rodgers. Additionally, the Packers would be willing to give a conditional 2025 draft pick to the Jets if he were to retire after the 2023 season.
As mentioned earlier, Johnson is unwilling to give up a guaranteed first-round pick in exchange for Rodgers, especially after his comments about being so close to retiring this offseason.
Whichever side of the fence you are on in regards to the “who holds the leverage debate,” Rodgers threw a wrench in plans with his retirement comments. The Jets want protection in case Rodgers decides he wants to 100-percent retire next offseason.
So, what can get a deal done? Let’s provide a prediction of our own (this is an opinion, not a report).
Packers Get
2023 Second Round Pick
2024 Conditional Second Round Pick (Becomes a First if Aaron Rodgers Doesn’t Retire)
2024 Third-Round Pick
Jets Get
QB Aaron Rodgers
2025 Conditional Draft Pick (If Aaron Rodgers Retires)
Well, the Jets’ really don’t want to give up their first-rounder in 2024 straight-up. Throw in a 2023 second-rounder (No. 42 or 43), a conditional second-rounder in 2024 that becomes a first if Rodgers returns for a second season, and perhaps include a third-round pick in 2024 as well to sweeten the deal to back Green Bay off of the guaranteed first-round pick that year.
We’d say throw in a 2023 third-round pick, but the Jets no longer own it after the Elijah Moore trade with the Cleveland Browns.
The Packers would send Rodgers and a conditional 2025 pick in case he chooses to retire.
This offseason, the Rodgers decision timeline was exhausting. It comes as no shock that the trade discussions feel the same way. But, maybe when the 2023 NFL Draft arrives between Apr. 27-29, the two sides can reach an agreement that would give the Packers the adequate draft picks they are seeking, and allow the Jets to acquire the quarterback they have been longing for to help them make a push for their second Super Bowl title.
