Jet Scream: Hot Takes on Potential Rodgers-Jets Trade

The NFL pundits throughout New York (as well as Sports Illustrated) offered their thoughts on the presumed trade of Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers by the Jets.

Author:
Bill Huber
Publish date:
Mar 16, 2023 1:54 PM EDT

In this story:

Green Bay Packers

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Of course the New York media is devouring the looming trade of Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers to the New York Jets.

“Jet Set” read the New York Post’s sports cover.

The New York Daily News’ back-page headline read “Real Shot in the Arm” – with more vaccination fun in the subhead.

Here are snippets from seven columns to give you a flavor of the coverage, with links to dig deeper.

New York Daily News’ Mike Lupica

Apart from Mr. Dolan, who presides over two teams at the Facial Recognition Garden, there is no less popular owner around here than Woody Johnson. A few years ago Jets fans were not only happy to see him head off to England to become Donald Trump’s ambassador to the Court of St. James, most of them were hoping it might become a lifetime appointment. You can still buy political appointments like that if you have the money, by the way. It is different trying to buy the Lombardi Trophy, as Woody well knows.

But at least Johnson is acting like a real owner, and a smart one, as he and his general manager and his coach have been trying hard to recruit Aaron Rodgers to become the No. 12 the Jets have been looking for since the Original 12, which means Joe Namath.

As much as a football decision as this is, it is also an example of a rich guy — in this case the rich guy who owns one of our football teams — getting out of debt.

Woody is going after Rodgers for so many good reasons, starting with this one:

At this moment, he has the only losing team in town.

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New York Post’s Steve Serby

Out of the darkness, from Aaron Rodgers’ lips to all Jets ears:

J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS!!!!

Fifty-four years and two months after Broadway Joe and Super Bowl III, 12 consecutive years now without a playoff appearance, here comes your Dark Knight in shining armor. …

The Big Cheese — Aaron Rodgers — will be Quarterback, New York Jets. … If Jets GM Joe Douglas must surrender the 13th pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, so be it.

It is first-and-goal now for Woody Johnson and the Jets.

An Aaron Rodgers touchdown pass wins the game.

And gives Woody Johnson his best chance to win that elusive second Super Bowl championship in franchise history, gives him his best chance to win his first championship since forking over $635 million in January 2000.

You cannot be all-in on Aaron Rodgers the way Johnson is all-in and commit what would be the greatest Buttfumble in Jets history now.

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Newsday’s Tom Rock

A quibble after spending an hour in Pat McAfee’s virtual restaurant listening to the couple at the next table over end their long-term relationship:

It would have been nice if, on the day that elevated the Jets one step closer to being top-tier contenders and brought so much euphoria and optimism and in some cases tears of joy to the long-suffering fan base, Aaron Rodgers at some point simply said he wanted to come to the Jets because of something Jets-related.

For now, all we have been given by the great purveyor of information were two basic nuggets:

1) Rodgers wants to play for the Jets.

2) And he wants to do it in order to stick it to the Packers.

If that brings a trophy to Florham Park, who really cares what his motivations are? There have been plenty of great accomplishments in sports, or otherwise, driven by spite. Michael Jordan carved out a 15-season career — plus a 10-part documentary — from that very emotion. If chips were made of protective plastic the NFL could do away with shoulder pads. Everyone wants to prove the haters and the doubters wrong, even if they have to make them up to do it.

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Steve Politi, NJ.com

There is a feeling around the NFL that the Packers are the ones with the most leverage here, and that the most likely outcome is that the Jets will eventually blink and give up too much for a player who, at 39, is essentially a one- or two-year rental.

They shouldn’t do it.

The Packers need to get rid of Rodgers as much as the Jets need to add him to their roster. Remember: There is no scenario in which Rodgers can return to Green Bay now. The Packers have made it abundantly clear that they are ready to move on, and the chief motivation for Rodgers’ decision not to retire seems to be the opportunity to rub his success in their faces.

For an apt comparison, look at the NBA. When a superstar wants a trade, that player almost always gets his wish because the alternative — letting him destroy your franchise from within — is not worth the headache. What if Rodgers calls their bluff and announces that he’ll be ready for offseason workouts in Green Bay? What would the cheeseheads do then?

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Sports Illustrated’s Conor Orr

There is something beautiful about the way Aaron Rodgers floated above it all Wednesday. With a half-million people tuned in to The Pat McAfee Show to hear him talk – largely unchecked and unquestioned – one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history managed to place himself atop the franchise he was leaving behind, saying he intends to play for the Jets, and then quietly shove said franchise onto the pavement just ahead of a steamroller.

This is the vulnerable, tucked-forward position Green Bay has assumed for the past several years with their mercurial star. It has been a willing victim, so long as Rodgers continued to play at an MVP level, and now that the franchise has decided to back out of the relationship, Rodgers would like you all to know who really is to blame. …

He talked about how great of a kid his successor, Jordan Love, was, only after making sure everyone knew who the franchise’s longest-tenured player was, and who may or may not be the greatest Packer in NFL history. If you’re Love, how do you not interpret that as a slap on the back, followed by a “Good luck, pal!”

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The Wall Street Journal’s Jason Gay

What if it…works?

What if it goes according to plan?

What if Aaron Rodgers hops aboard the New York Jets crazy train and succeeds where Richard Todd, Ken O’Brien, Boomer Esiason, Frank Reich, Neil O’Donnell, Vinny Testaverde, Ray Lucas, Chad Pennington, Brooks Bollinger, Rick Mirer, Brett Favre (!), Mark Sanchez, Geno Smith, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Josh McCown, Sam Darnold, Zach Wilson and quite a few others (Michael Vick! Joe Flacco!) haven’t, leading this comically snakebit franchise to its second Super Bowl title since Joe Namath delivered the one and only versus the Colts?

This move is pass-or-fail. Even though they have the longest playoff drought in the NFL—12 seasons—the Jets aren’t bringing Rodgers to New York to take them to a divisional round loss versus the Bengals. It’s Lombardi Trophy in the Canyon of Heroes, Rodgers giving a rambly speech from City Hall, or it’s bust.

It probably won’t work.

But what if it does? That’s why this is happening.

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The Guardian’s Oliver Connolly

The long national nightmare is over. Aaron Rodgers has made his decision.

After 15 seasons as the Green Bay Packers starter, the quarterback is set to be traded to the New York Jets. He confirmed as much on Wednesday afternoon, although the teams have not yet agreed on terms of the deal.

It was typical of Rodgers to make everyone wait, to have everyone hanging on his word. But speaking on The Pat McAfee show, Rodgers unloaded on the Packers. They showed a lack of respect, he said. There was double talk. They didn’t give him – or his ex-teammates – dignity in their exits. He placed the blame for the impending divorce on the team’s new management structure. “I like direct communication,” he told McAfee. This, remember, from a man who entered into four days of darkness with no phone service a few weeks before the start of free agency.

But this is Rodgers in his happy place. Grumpy. Indignant. Vindictive.

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