The Green Bay Packers and New York Jets have been engaged in trade talks involving quarterback Aaron Rodgers for more than a month. With the 2023 NFL Draft just days away, the two sides reportedly still aren’t close to a deal.
Rodgers told The Pat McAfee Show in March that he wanted to play for the Jets in 2023. With Green Bay committed to quarterback Jordan Love and ready to move on from Rodgers, a trade became viable for both sides.
- Aaron Rodgers career stats: 103.6 QB rating, 475-105 TD-INT, 59,055 passing yards
New York focused on Rodgers immediately this offseason. It hired offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, who Rodgers has raved about in the past. With Hackett brought on as play-caller, the Jets then added former Packers wide receiver Allen Lazard and are interested in another of Rodgers’ former go-to targets.
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However, Green Bay and New York have been locked at a stalemate in negotiations for weeks. While a trade was once expected to be completed before the 2023 NFL Draft, there’s now a growing belief it happens after based on where the negotiations stand.
Appearing on SportsCenter, NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler disclosed that the Packers and Jets made ‘a little bit of progress’ in trade talks at the league meetings in March. However, Green Bay wants a ‘premium package of draft picks’ in exchange for Rodgers. However, the Jets are unwilling to go that far and believe the Packers are being ‘a little stubborn’ right now.
According to Fowler, one of the biggest negotiating points in trade talks between the two sides is pick protections. Green Bay is insistent on not wanting to trade a 2025 pick to New York if Rodgers retires next spring, while the Jets are refusing to trade an unprotected 2024 first-round pick to the Packers for Rodgers.
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The Packers are insisting on the Jets including a first-round pick, either in 2023 or 2024, to land Rodgers. The price is based on the returns for Matthew Stafford and Russell Wilson, with Green Bay accounting for Rodgers’ yearly contemplation of retirement.
While the Jets are desperate for a franchise-caliber quarterback, the organization is concerned Rodgers could retire after the 2023 season. The belief that he could be a one-year rental is why New York wants the Packers to include a conditional 2025 draft pick.
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Rodgers is still expected to be traded to the Jets in 2023, but the timeline for a deal to happen is uncertain. If a deal doesn’t happen by the second day of the 2023 NFL Draft, there’s a realistic chance the process plays out into training camp.
