At the time of this writing, we don’t know if Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers wants to play football in 2023. Even if he does, there’s still a question as to whether he’d want to do so with the Jets. We do know New York is definitely interested in the idea of landing the four-time NFL MVP.
If Rodgers signals he wants to be traded, what would it take for the Jets to land the future Hall of Famer? NBC Sports’ Peter King speculated the cost for Rodgers would be “at least” two first-round picks. King also said he thought Jets owner Woody Johnson would “happily” pay that price.
This asking price assumption has now been backed up by The Athletic‘s Zack Rosenblatt. On a recent episode of The Athletic Football Show podcast, this is what the Jets reporter said about the potential cost of landing Rodgers:
"I think it's at least a 1st-round pick and probably, if not another 1st-round pick, other high draft picks or young players. I think it's going to take way more than maybe people realize."
— #Jets reporter @ZackBlatt on Aaron Rodgers compensation. https://t.co/pZ1dKstyWL
— Peter Bukowski (@Peter_Bukowski) March 1, 2023
So, what Rosenblatt says here jives pretty well with what King said a little more than a month ago. However, don’t get too excited, Packers fans. It’s not like New York will include someone like Sauce Gardner or Quinnen Williams in any trade. At least, that seems highly unlikely.
Rodgers is coming off a down season after winning two straight MVP Awards. Despite having a high salary cap hit heading into 2023, acquiring him won’t be a cheap endeavor.
Another potential landing spot for the veteran signal-caller appeared to be the Las Vegas Raiders. Former Packers teammate, wide receiver Davante Adams, threw that into the rumor mill himself. But, it doesn’t seem like the Raiders will be actively pursuing Rodgers. So, it could very well be the Packers, the Jets, or bust if he decides to return next season.
If that were the case, you’d think it’d give the Jets a negotiation advantage. But who knows? He’ll first have to give us a sense of what he actually wants to do before we can keep legitimately speculating about next steps.
Matt Musico can be reached at matt.musico@xlmedia.com and you can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.
