The Green Bay Packers traded quarterback Aaron Rodgers to the Jets on Monday, ending a three-year power struggle between the Packers and one of professional football’s greatest passers.
After a relatively lengthy negotiation process, the Jets agreed to trade the 13th overall pick in this year’s draft, a second-round pick and a conditional second-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The No. 15 pick and subsequent round picks. Transactions confirmed by persons with knowledge of the terms that are not authorized to speak publicly ESPN first reported.
Rodgers’ deal was imminent when he said on “The Pat McAfee Show” in March that he planned to play for the Jets this season. Six weeks after that confirmation, Jets and Packers leadership publicly said a trade would take place, but the teams didn’t reach an agreement until three days before the NFL Draft was scheduled to begin in Kansas City, Missouri.
Packers general manager Brian Gutkunst said at Monday’s press conference that it was “disappointing and disappointing” not to speak with Rodgers since the season ended, but sat behind Rodgers. “Really excited” to move forward with Jordan Love.The past three seasons.
Ever since quarterback Joe Namath led the Jets to their only Super Bowl appearance—a January 1969 victory—the franchise has struggled to find another long-term successor. The team consists of Richard Todd (1976), Ken O’Brien (1983), Chad Pennington (2000), Mark Sanchez (2009), Sam Darnold (2018) and Zach Wilson (2021). I tried to correct the position using
In a promising 2022 season, the Jets started 6-3 with one of the best defenses in the league and a talented offense. However, the lackluster quarterback play was the team’s most glaring flaw, ultimately ruling the Jets out of the playoffs for his 10th straight season. Now the Jets have acquired Rodgers, and Rodgers should position the Jets as champion contenders.
The 39-year-old Rodgers spent 18 seasons with Green Bay, winning the league’s Most Valuable Player award four times. Most recently he won in 2020 and he in 2021.
Rodgers became the Packers’ starter in 2008, three years after the team was drafted 24th overall by Berkeley, California. He replaced Hall of Famer Brett Fav, who had won his one title in his 16 seasons with Green Bay before the Packers traded him to the Jets.
Rodgers was quick to soothe fans’ nostalgia for Fav. After his six-win season in his first year as a starter, Rodgers led the Packers to his 11-5 record and made the Pro Bowl in 2009 his season. In his third season as a starter, Rodgers and Green Bay defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers to win the Super Bowl title.
He went on to win the championship in arguably the best season of his career. Rodgers earned his first-ever MVP award, earning his highest passing yards (4,643) and highest quarterback his rating (122.5) in NFL history. Rodgers also holds his record of 121.5, his second-highest quarterback rating set for the 2020 season.
Favre became the first and only quarterback to win MVP in three consecutive seasons from 1995-1997.
Rodgers became the face of the NFL and was noted for his endorsements with State Farm and Adidas, as well as posting some of the best statistical performances of any quarterback of his era. But another championship sidestepped him and the Packers while Brady, Manning, Ben Roethlisberger and Patrick Mahomes won at least his two Super Bowls.
The Packers have lost the NFC Championship Game five times, led by Rodgers. It’s a playoff stumbling block that revealed a rift between the quarterback and his team that began in January 2020 after a crushing loss to San Francisco his 49ers in that round.
Ahead of that year’s draft, Rodgers criticized the Packers for not using a first-round pick on a wide receiver that could partner with then-starter Davante Adams. “I haven’t picked a skilled player in the first round in 15 years, so that’s great,” Rodgers said in an interview.
That year, Green Bay team executives drafted Love with the 26th overall pick, much like Rodgers’ pick in 2005 when veteran Favre was the team’s starter.
Rodgers led the league in completion percentage (70.7) and touchdown passes (48) and lost another conference championship game.
That offseason, Rogers stewed both privately and publicly on his podcast. as a guest host TV game show Jeopardy! ESPN reported That Rogers wanted a deal.
In July 2021, Rodgers skipped the mandatory minicamp, but later attended training camp and spoke about the rift at his first press conference. “I just expressed a desire to be more involved in conversations that directly affect my work,” he said, explaining his desire to play a greater role in the team’s personnel decisions.
But the season was defined as much by his performance as by Rodgers’ reasons for his absence. He tested positive for coronavirus in November, months after telling reporters he was “immune” to the disease. Rogers that month denounced the league’s vaccination mandate and “awakened culture” in two podcasts he interviewed. The NFL later fined him $14,650 for violating protocol for unimmunized players, including not wearing a mask during his weekly press conference and attending a Halloween party.
Despite the rivalry, Rodgers again excelled in the 2021 season, throwing 37 touchdown passes with just four interceptions, leading the NFL in passer ratings, and edging the Packers to 13 during another MVP campaign. Led to a record of -4. The team lost in the divisional round of the playoffs, but that offseason Rodgers signed his three-year contract extension with a $150 million bond.
In March 2022, the Packers traded Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders, and the Packers’ offense struggled. Green Bay missed the playoffs, losing the final game of the season to the Detroit Lions, a team Rodgers won 18 times in his career.
Jets players openly contested his services as reports of Rodgers’ interest in the Jets flooded social media in the weeks leading up to the trade.Jets cornerback Ahmad Gardner, known as Sauce, donned a Packers fan’s cheesehead hat after the team beat Green Bay last season. Wearing a hat with other Jets teammates In a video to recruit Rogers.
Rodgers’ Jets campaign came just two seasons after picking Wilson with the No. 2 overall pick, but Wilson has rarely been seen as part of the franchise’s centerpiece. he was sitting on the bench After the offense gained just 2 yards in November 2022 The second half of a 10-3 loss to the New England Patriots.
Wilson now enters the third year of his rookie deal, where he is expected to play backup behind Rodgers, who was congratulated by the franchise’s most successful quarterback in March. At the time, Namus encouraged Rodgers to continue wearing the number 12 shared by both quarterbacks, even though the team retired the jersey in Namus’ honor.
Rodgers was instead able to sport the No. 8 he wore in college. was occupied by
