NEW YORK — The Green Bay Packers and New York Jets have reportedly finalized the deal to send four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers to the Jets.
The deal, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, includes the Packers and Jets swapping first round picks in this week’s NFL Draft. The Packers will move from No. 15 to No. 13 in the first round. The Packers will also receive New York’s pick No. 42 and sixth-round pick No. 207. Additionally, the Packers will get the Jets’ 2024 2nd round pick on the condition that Rodgers plays 65 percent of the plays.
The Jets will get Green Bay’s first-round pick, No. 15 (swapped from No. 13), and fifth-round pick, No. 170, as part of the deal as well.
It’s been a long-time coming for this trade. Rodgers himself announced on The Pat McAfee Show in March that it was his intention to play for the New York Jets, and a deal was being negotiated between the Packers and Jets.
That negotiating took over a month but a the deal is finally in place.
The Packers will now turn to a new starting quarterback, Jordan Love, who they drafted in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
There are notable parallels to the Rodgers-Love situation with the Packers as the Brett Favre-Rodgers situation about 15 years earlier.
Rodgers was drafted out of Cal by the Green Bay Packers in 2005 and after spending several seasons behind veteran Packers QB Brett Favre, Rodgers took over the starting role.
Ironically, the Packers traded Favre to the New York Jets in 2008, clearing the way for Rodgers to become the starter. Now, Rodgers will also be sent to the Jets, clearing the way for Love to take over as the Packers’ starter.
With Rodgers under center, the Packers won Super Bowl XLV in 2011 over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Despite nine playoff appearances and four NFC Championship Game appearances since then, Rodgers and the Packers were not able to add a second ring during his time in Green Bay.
Rodgers has won the NFL MVP award four times in his career, most recently going back-to-back in 2020 and 2021.
Rodgers joins a New York Jets team that has seen new life injected into it since the hiring of Robert Saleh as head coach. While their playoff drought continues, the Jets have seen strong improvement in back-to-back years since their 2-14 effort in 2020.
The Jets have had a number of high-profile draft picks in recent years that are performing well, including 2022 Associated Press offensive and defensive rookies of the year in cornerback Sauce Garner and wide receiver Garrett Wilson.
Rodgers will reportedly wear No. 8 with the Jets, the number he wore in college at Cal.