The Green Bay Packers have done the once unthinkable.
Monday saw the Packers officially trade Rodgers to the New York Jets for the No. 13, No. 42 (second round) and No. 207 (sixth round) picks in the 2023 NFL Draft, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The Packers will also get a conditional second-round pick in the 2024 draft that will become a first-round pick if Rodgers participates in 65 percent of the plays.
After 18 seasons in Green Bay (15 as a starter), Rodgers is trading in his famed Packers’ green and gold for the Jets’ green and white. Along with Rodgers, the Jets also got two picks in this year’s draft — one in the first round (No. 15) and one in the fifth (No. 170).
None of this news should come as a surprise. Recent days had suggested a Rodgers move to New York was imminent. Even just talking about Rodgers on the Jets spiked their Super Bowl 58 odds. The Jets were clearly all-in on the quarterback, while the Packers were apparently quietly hoping they could finally move on after another tiring offseason.
Now, the deal that was in the works in the background is done, and everyone can move forward with their lives. Thank goodness.
Trade compensation, per sources:
Jets get:
Aaron Rodgers, pick No. 15, a 2023 5th-rd pick (No. 170).Packers get:
Pick No. 13, a 2023 2nd-rd pick (No. 42), a 6th-rd pick (No. 207), a conditional 2024 2nd-rd pick that becomes a 1st if Rodgers plays 65 percent of the plays. pic.twitter.com/Q2vUMfyZGH— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 24, 2023
Whatever happens for Rodgers in New York, he’s undoubtedly already one of the greatest QBs of all time. As the Packers’ signal-caller, Rodgers’ resume is illustrious. With his Super Bowl 45 victory and MVP in the account, it’s clear he has a backlog of a bona fide first-ballot Hall of Famer:
At 39 years old, predicting how Rodgers will fare as a Jet is challenging. His best days are assuredly behind him. But New York has a quality roster otherwise ready to compete now. Should Rodgers even play at a three-fourths capacity of what he once was, the Jets will be a genuine contender in the AFC. Perhaps that’s what they’re hoping for.
Meanwhile, after rostering two consecutive superstar QBs, the Packers enter a new era with Jordan Love. GM Brian Gutekunst has endorsed Love’s capacity to be a quality starter after three seasons on the bench, but that doesn’t mean anything until he hits the field full-time. A former first-rounder, Love may well match the Packers’ high expectations. But with the young QB following Brett Favre and Rodgers in succession, fan expectations will probably be even higher.
There likely couldn’t have been two tougher acts to follow.
