Jets in talks with Packers, Aaron Rodgers, sources say
The New York Jets have had conversations with the Green Bay Packers and with quarterback Aaron Rodgers this week regarding a potential trade of the four-time MVP to the Jets, according to sources.
The sources said some of those conversations were expected to take place Tuesday, but that it's unclear as of Tuesday morning whether they will result in a trade.
Rodgers still has not made any announcements about what he intends to do this season. It's still possible he decides to retire, or to stay in Green Bay. But if he still wants to play and he and the Packers agree it's time for him to play somewhere else, the Jets appear to be a realistic option.
If the Jets are speaking directly with Rodgers, they and he would have had to secure the Packers' permission, as he is still under contract with Green Bay. So, the discussions Rodgers is having with the Jets indicate at least some openness on the part of the Packers to the idea of trading him there.
But there are potential complications to a deal, including Rodgers' huge and complicated contract, that might have to be addressed to make sure both teams would be in compliance with the salary cap by the start of the league year next Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET.
Rodgers is under contract through 2024 for $108.8 million. Technically, the contract, signed last March, runs through 2026, but 2025 and 2026 are considered "dummy" years for cap purposes. His deal includes a fully guaranteed $59.5 million this season, with $58.3 million coming in the form of an option bonus, payable before the start of the regular season.
Because his bonus money is prorated, Rodgers wouldn't hobble the Jets' cap. He would count $15.8 million in 2023 and $32.5 million in 2024, cap-friendly for a player of his stature.
The Packers would get hit with a $40.3 million "dead" charge in 2023 -- nearly $9 million more than he'd count if he were on the roster.
Originally Posted by TwistedChief:
I intensely dislike Aaron Rodgers, but washed? He's a year removed from being MVP of the league for the second consecutive season. He played through a good part of last year with a thumb injury and was working with a lot of young receivers.
You may ultimately be right but I think it's a little early to come to that conclusion.
He threw 12 picks last year, but that snapped an 11 season streak of throwing single digit interceptions.
Someone said he throws picks now, and it's no longer his strength, but come on. In his career, he has thrown double digit interceptions just 3 times. Protecting the ball is still his strength. He may not be prime Aaron Rodgers, but he is still very good. [Reply]
Originally Posted by AussieChiefsFan:
Acquiring Rodgers would immediately get the Jets the closest they've been to being a Super Bowl contender in 50 years.
If the trade goes through, Rodgers will want to prove that his lack of rings was the Packers fault for not providing him with good enough teams throughout his career.
Except he has been on very good teams capable of winning it all. He for the most part has played poorly in the postseason in comparison to how he played in the regular season. His lack of rings are as much him as it is the Packers. Plus this was in a much easier NFC. It wasn’t like he had to navigate a Brady led Patriots, Manning led Colts/Broncos or a Big Ben led Steelers year in and year out. [Reply]
Originally Posted by PAChiefsGuy:
I stand by what I said. He's inconsistent, careless w football, and viewed as a terrible leader (at least that last season), and extremely expensive. This is not a prime Aaron Rodgers anymore.
Maybe I'm wrong which is possible but Im stick to my opinion I don't think he will do much there. He will manage the game and not cost them it like say Zach Wilson but that's about it.
Originally Posted by tooge:
If I was a jets fan, this would be my thinking as well. I'd try to trade back and get an extra first, even if it gave up one of the 2nd round pics. Then I'd make my QB move next year. Rogers isn't worth a first round pic for one or even maybe two years.
They have too much talent to be bad enough for the #1 pick. If Caleb Williams is as good as people predict, whoever ends up with the #1 pick won’t be looking to trade it. Their best bet at this point is to push all their chips in and hope Rodgers leads them to a SB. They really don’t have any other choice after the spectacular failure of Zach Wilson. [Reply]
Originally Posted by tredadda:
They have too much talent to be bad enough for the #1 pick. If Caleb Williams is as good as people predict, whoever ends up with the #1 pick won’t be looking to trade it. Their best bet at this point is to push all their chips in and hope Rodgers leads them to a SB. They really don’t have any other choice after the spectacular failure of Zach Wilson.
And Sam Darnold.
As we all know, the best way to get a QB is to draft and develop one. The Chiefs finally did that and won it all.
Unfortunately for the Jets, they've been TRYING to do it the right way but their talent evaluation at QB just sucks.
If any team in the NFL should operate counter to "best practice" it's the Jets. [Reply]
Originally Posted by ThaVirus:
That defense is ready to win now. Plus, if you assume a natural progression of Breece Hall/Garrett Wilson and adding Allen Lazard, a good QB and some luck could get them far.
You touched on it at the end here, but that franchise is ass. Take a look at this:
They've got an all-time W/L record that's well below .500. Their all-time postseason W/L is 12-13. They've only won their division 4 times in 60 years. They've only won 1 Super Bowl (back in 1968). They haven't won a playoff game since 2010.
Glad they won that one as it was huge reason why the AFL/NFL merger happened. [Reply]
As we all know, the best way to get a QB is to draft and develop one. The Chiefs finally did that and won it all.
Unfortunately for the Jets, they've been TRYING to do it the right way but their talent evaluation at QB just sucks.
If any team in the NFL should operate counter to "best practice" it's the Jets.
I do believe KC screwed up how you evaluate QBs for so many other teams. Every team seems to be looking for that loose playing, big armed QB and hoping to snag their own Mahomes. The one exception would be Burrow, but he was such a “can’t miss” prospect that he became the exception. I think missing on Wilson hurt them more just because they had little talent around Darnold and him being good would have hurt their ability to pick up great talent. Wilson was supposed to be part of THIS new Jets team. Because of his spectacular crash and burn they have talent everywhere except QB and now need a quick fix before this young talent becomes to expensive to retain. [Reply]
Originally Posted by tredadda:
I do believe KC screwed up how you evaluate QBs for so many other teams. Every team seems to be looking for that loose playing, big armed QB and hoping to snag their own Mahomes. The one exception would be Burrow, but he was such a “can’t miss” prospect that he became the exception. I think missing on Wilson hurt them more just because they had little talent around Darnold and him being good would have hurt their ability to pick up great talent. Wilson was supposed to be part of THIS new Jets team. Because of his spectacular crash and burn they have talent everywhere except QB and now need a quick fix before this young talent becomes to expensive to retain.
Also true.
It's just another testament to the ineptitude that is the Jets franchise. [Reply]
Originally Posted by tredadda:
I do believe KC screwed up how you evaluate QBs for so many other teams. Every team seems to be looking for that loose playing, big armed QB and hoping to snag their own Mahomes. The one exception would be Burrow, but he was such a “can’t miss” prospect that he became the exception. I think missing on Wilson hurt them more just because they had little talent around Darnold and him being good would have hurt their ability to pick up great talent. Wilson was supposed to be part of THIS new Jets team. Because of his spectacular crash and burn they have talent everywhere except QB and now need a quick fix before this young talent becomes to expensive to retain.
They're in a pretty good window if thry get Rogers. He's obviously not still in his prime but he's better than any option they've had at QB since probably Boomer. They have been historically bad at getting that position filled. Even if they get Rogers it's a 1 or 2 year fix at most. [Reply]
Originally Posted by PAChiefsGuy:
I stand by what I said. He's inconsistent, careless w football, and viewed as a terrible leader (at least that last season), and extremely expensive. This is not a prime Aaron Rodgers anymore.
Maybe I'm wrong which is possible but Im stick to my opinion I don't think he will do much there. He will manage the game and not cost them it like say Zach Wilson but that's about it.
Could not be more wrong. 2022 was the first time he had double digit INT's since 2010.
Rogers also has significantly fewer INT's during the past 5 seasons than Mahomes. [Reply]
Originally Posted by raybec 4:
They're in a pretty good window if thry get Rogers. He's obviously not still in his prime but he's better than any option they've had at QB since probably Boomer. They have been historically bad at getting that position filled. Even if they get Rogers it's a 1 or 2 year fix at most.
Oh no doubts, but flags fly forever. They are in a situation where they have to make this move, especially with Miami improving and Buffalo still being good. They can’t afford not to make this trade as they are good and talented, but not so good and talented they could drag a mediocre QB to a SB. If they don’t make the move, they end up in the 7-10 to 9-8 purgatory that keeps them from drafting and developing an elite QB. By the time they did, their top talent would want to get paid and they would only be able to retain some. [Reply]
Originally Posted by RedinTexas:
I'm pretty sure the merger had already been agreed upon before that Super Bowl ever happened.
You might be right. I thought that the NFL felt the AFL was vastly inferior and it took the Jets winning (followed by KC) the SB to convince the NFL to want to merge. [Reply]
As we all know, the best way to get a QB is to draft and develop one. The Chiefs finally did that and won it all.
Unfortunately for the Jets, they've been TRYING to do it the right way but their talent evaluation at QB just sucks.
If any team in the NFL should operate counter to "best practice" it's the Jets.
If you're going to draft a QB high it also helps to not have Adam Gase "developing" him.
Or another Adam Gase clone in Lafleur whose offense was so bad Kurt Warner who was trying to be diplomatic kept saying, " Not sure what the playcall was designed to do here" over and over and over. [Reply]
Originally Posted by penguinz:
Could not be more wrong. 2022 was the first time he had double digit INT's since 2010.
Rogers also has significantly fewer INT's during the past 5 seasons than Mahomes.
You guys are right I was wrong for saying that..
I worded it wrong. I meant by his standards he was little carless w the football last season. See the Lions game. It could be a sign of things to come. That was one of the worst games I've ever seen Rodgers have and I just don't feel he is anywhere near what he once was.