Jude Magnotti ‘26
EE Sports Columnist
The past few weeks have been chaos for Packers and Jets fans alike. Packers star QB Aaron Rodgers came out and said that he “intends to play for the New York Jets”. However, the two teams have yet to negotiate a deal.
Everyone knows by now that it will (or should) happen. The only question is when, and why has it not happened yet?
The reason for this is that, according to multiple sources, the Packers asking price for Rodgers is extremely high. They are reportedly demanding multiple first rounds picks, but for a 39 year old QB that just came off the worst season of his career this is too much for the Jets.
If Rodgers doesn’t work out, they will need those first round picks to acquire a new QB. The Jets have many extremely talented players and they should not be willing to waste their potential through a bad trade.
Now, this trade has been the worst kept secret in the NFL for many weeks. However, just because Aaron Rodgers intends to play for the Jets, does not mean he will.
With the Jets not willing to give the Packers picks, it is possible that they could start fielding calls from other teams and ship him somewhere else against Rodgers’ wishes. This would come as a shock to both the fans and players, but if the Packers can manage to squeeze more out of another team, they do not have to trade him to New York.
The Packers are trying to acquire as many draft assets as possible to build around their young core. Rodgers will 100% be traded this year, but to whom and for how much is not yet determined.
It is still very likely that Rodgers is traded to the Jets. He has done so much for the Packers and they hopefully will repay him. However, the possibility of him going somewhere else is still definitely out there and something interesting to think about.
Now, imagine the deal is done: what would it mean for both teams? Well for the Packers, while this would seam like a re-build move, if Jordan Love is able to blossom along with other young players then they could still find themselves in playoff position in a couple of years (especially if they manage to make a few big signings).
As for the Jets, getting Rodgers would put them in immediate contention. They already have an impressive group, but if Rodgers returns to form it could take them to the next level even if it is just for a couple years. This would already add to the stacked AFC East class of the Bills, Dolphins, and Patriots.
Is this the right move for them though? I am not so sure. Rodgers is already 39 and even if he returns to form it will only be for 2-3 years at max.
The Jets are smart for not giving in with future firsts and any pick they trade would need to be within the next 2-3 years. A smart package I could see for Rodgers that would benefit both sides would be the Jets giving the Packers a first round next year and their 4th and 5th rounders this year. Couple this with maybe a small contract role player (Corey Davis?) and I definitely feel like this could work out for both sides. The Jets won’t be giving up a ton and still put themselves in decent position if the Rodgers trade flops.
However, until the trade becomes official, nothing is for certain. Still, do not be surprised if Aaron Rodgers wears the green and white next season.