The entire NFL world is waiting to find out what will happen with Green Bay Packers superstar quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
There is a strong belief across the football world that Rodgers does indeed want to join the New York Jets. However, Rodgers simply stating that desire is only one part of the equation. The rest of the equation has to do with the actual trade that the Packers and Jets would have to make to get a deal done.
According to one report, the Packers seemingly want a package similar to what the Detroit Lions received when they sent off Matthew Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams.
.@AdamSchefter has the latest on Aaron Rodgers:
"I will not be surprised if Aaron Rodgers tells Pat McAfee, yes, that he wants to play for the Jets. But as you've been saying all week long, there are layers to this whole situation." pic.twitter.com/3QojctyHaq
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) March 15, 2023
“My understanding is that within the Packers organization, they felt that he was worth a package that was similar to the one that the [Lions] once got for Matthew Stafford, which was multiple ones,” Adam Schefter said.
Schefter went on to explain that the Jets surely have no desire to trade multiple first-round picks for a 39-year-old quarterback who has been flirting with retirement all offseason long. So, even if Rodgers does publicly express his desire to join the Jets — which he is widely expected to do — there still could be a serious roadblock when it comes to actually making that marriage happen.
When it comes to what the Lions actually received in exchange for Stafford, they got quite a nice deal. The Lions received current starting quarterback Jared Goff (who put up fantastic numbers in 2022), a 2021 third-round pick and first-round picks in 2022 and 2023.
That 2023 pick ended up being very valuable as the Rams fell off a bit last season after winning the Super Bowl in 2022.
In the upcoming draft, the Lions have the No. 6 overall pick as well as the No. 18 overall pick.
A major reason why the Jets might not want to give up a similar deal for Rodgers is because there is no guarantee that the four-time MVP will stay with the team for very long. That fact could dramatically hinder the franchise’s ability to rebuild whenever Rodgers does eventually decide to call it quits.
So, while Rodgers is now expected to express interest in joining the team, that doesn’t mean that a deal is as good as done.
