An Aaron Rodgers Trade Could Be Coming to Fruition
Josh Frey
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One of the biggest storylines of the NFL offseason on an annual basis has become trying to figure out what Aaron Rodgers wants to do with his football career. There have been trade requests and rumors that he could be leaving every single offseason since the Green Bay Packers drafted Jordan Love in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
This week, we’ve gotten the first real inkling that an Aaron Rodgers trade could be coming soon. According to multiple sources, Rodgers received permission from Green Bay to talk with the New York Jets, and as Trey Wingo reported, “while nothing is imminent, Rodgers is open to the idea of going to NY.”
Throughout the early weeks of the offseason, Rodgers went on The Pat McAfee Show multiple times and stated that he wouldn’t “hold anyone hostage” when making this decision. Now, nearly two months and one darkness/isolation retreat later, this is the first true update we’ve gotten from the ongoing situation with the Packers starting QB.
The New York Jets have long been rumored to be the team that would swing a trade for Rodgers due to a few factors. Firstly, their roster is well-constructed at the skill positions, with budding stars in 2022 draft picks RB Breece Hall, WR Garrett Wilson, and CB Sauce Gardner.
In addition, they recently hired former Packers offensive coordinator and Denver Broncos head coach, Nathaniel Hackett, to be their offensive coordinator for the 2023 season, bringing even more juice to the potential trade rumors.
Finally, it has been a bit of a roller coaster ride for 2021 No. 2 overall pick Zach Wilson over his first few seasons in the NFL. Last season, he was benched following New York’s 10-3 Week 11 loss to the New England Patriots. Following that game, Wilson made a few questionable comments regarding his role in the loss.
In all, Wilson started nine games for New York, and the Jets went 5-4 in those games, but again, much of that success rode with their defense. In those nine games, the Jets scored 20+ points just four times and went 4-0 in such instances.
Trading to acquire Rodgers could provide them with a stable, veteran presence at the quarterback position in a competitive AFC East division. The Bills are the clear favorites in that division, but New York could very well jump into that No. 2 spot if they get a version of Rodgers that is 70-80% of his MVP seasons of 2020 and 2021.
Vikings fans would certainly like to see the long-time Packers starter leave the division. In 29 games against Minnesota, Rodgers has helped the Packers to a 17-11-1 record, and he has passed for more yards against the Vikings than any other team (7157). He also has 57 passing TDs compared to 8 INTs against Minnesota.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.