The Green Bay Packers have been in trade conversations with the New York Jets regarding future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers over the past month.
The on-again, off-again conversations don’t seem to be going anywhere with the 2023 NFL Draft slated to start in roughly two weeks.
There is a good reason for this. According to Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports, Green Bay continues to demand a second-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and a guaranteed first rounder in 2014. While the team is willing to offer up a 2025 pick in case Rodgers retires after next season, it’s an asking price the Jets are not willing to meet.
This comes at a time when conversations between the Packers and Jets relating to Rodgers appear to be stale.
“We are now two weeks away from the draft and there has been, by my estimate, little if any contact between the Green Bay Packers and New York Jets. So the trade that everybody seems to be waiting to get done is not any closer to happening as the draft draws closer.”
ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Green Bay Packers, New York Jets trade talks
The interesting dynamic here is that Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst had previously backed off of demanding the Jets’ first-round pick in 2023 (13th overall). It’s a price New York was not willing to meet.
Related: 2023 Green Bay Packers mock draft
Will an Aaron Rodgers trade to the New York Jets happen?
That’s the million dollar question. Green Bay is more than happy waiting until the 2023 NFL Draft concludes to pull off a trade. That is to say, Gutekunst and Co. aren’t necessarily looking for draft capital in this month’s event.
As for New York, the idea of keeping its stockpile of picks in 2023 while being able to still acquire Rodgers seems pretty attractive. The team views itself as a legit Super Bowl contender with Rodgers in the mix. As it should.
- Aaron Rodgers stats: 65.3% completion, 59,055 passing yards, 475 TD, 105 INT
New York does want to protect itself in case Rodgers opts to retire after the 2023 season. At 39 years old and seen as somewhat of a loose cannon, that’s always a possibility. Acquiring future capital in face this happens makes sense. Giving up a highly-regarded first-round pick for a one-year rental doesn’t make sense.
Related: Aaron Rodgers and NFL’s highest-paid QBs of 2023
What we do know is that Rodgers has made it clear he wants to be traded to the New York Jets. This doesn’t mean another team such as the San Francisco 49ers can’t get involved. The longer this process draws out without an Aaron Rodgers trade to the Jets being finalized, the more likely it is another team such as the aforementioned 49ers gets involved.