After the 2022-2023 season ended, many thought that Aaron Rodgers would say goodbye to the NFL and live his life peacefully in retirement; however, he announced on the Pat McAfee Show that he desires to pray for the New York Jets and that the Green Bay Packers had agreed to let go of the QB to the Jets. However, the trade ended up taking almost a month before eventually reaching the desired conclusion.
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Green Bay finally traded the long-time franchise quarterback to New York in exchange for a first-round pick, a pick swap in the second round, a sixth-round pick, and a conditional 2024 second-round pick. It took an awful amount of time for the deal to come to fruition.
Recently, new details about the deal emerged which do give an impression that a lot was hidden from the general public when the trade talks were on. As per Dov Kleiman of Brobile, the deal was not as simple as it looked, and it involved a “series of intense discussions and compromises between the two sides.”
The Jets wanted to make a move like that of the Seattle Seahawks in 2021
Reportedly, the Packers wanted to get multiple first-rounders after giving up Aaron, exactly like the Seahawks who got quite a lucrative package after trading Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos. As soon as this news broke, baffled fans asked Matt LaFleur what exactly was he thinking while putting forth such crazy demands as in the end, it served no purpose apart from delaying the deal.
Report: The #Packers initially wanted a "Russell Wilson" trade compensation for Aaron Rodgers, per @BrianCoz
The Broncos gave up two 1st (one of which was the 9th overall), two 2nds, a 5th, TE Noah Fant, DE Shelby Harris, and QB Drew Lock for Russell Wilson in 2022.
The Packers… pic.twitter.com/jAmC3EHiTp
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) May 8, 2023
What was Matt lafleur even thinkin? Tht he’ll get loads of picks for a 39, year old 90% retired QB? https://t.co/tFi0unYxQ8
— broady (@broadyboy101) May 9, 2023
To get Wilson, Denver gave up an extension package, which included two first-round picks, two second-round picks, a fifth-round pick, TE Noah Fant, starting DE Shelby Harris, and QB Drew Lock. Getting inspired by that, Green Bay was looking to have two first-round picks.
However, New York understands the value of hiring a 39-year-old quarterback. Ultimately, the Packers had to be content with acquiring a first-rounder in the 2024 draft, and a few other picks as the Jets simply refused to blindly gift picks away, unlike the Broncos who had no hesitation in going all out to get Wilson.
The Jets made the trade more attractive by revising the conditions of the conditional pick for 2024. Instead of having strict conditions, the pick would become a first-rounder if Rodgers played 65 percent of the offensive snaps in 2023. This would be a more feasible threshold to meet. Additionally, the Jets also included a second-round pick for the 2023 draft in the trade.
Aaron Rodgers is itching to shine for the Jets
The Rodgers-trade agreement benefited both, Packers and the Jets, as it allowed them to achieve their goals while minimizing the associated risks. The Packers were able to get valuable draft picks that would help them rebuild their roster, while the Jets got a future Hall of Famer quarterback to lead their offense in the upcoming season.
The trade caused a stir in the NFL community, leaving fans and experts curious about how Rodgers will perform for his new team. New York even added Aaron’s favorite target, Allen Lazard, to the roster. Now that the controversy king has got the players he wanted, it goes without saying that he will have a lot to prove this season.
