Report: Rodgers to Jets ‘Is Done’
GREEN BAY, Wis. – Exactly 5,332 days ago, the Green Bay Packers – ready to start a future with fourth-year quarterback Aaron Rodgers – traded Brett Favre to the New York Jets.
On Monday, with NFL free agency having kicked off three hours earlier, NFL insider Trey Wingo reported that the Packers – ready to start a future with fourth-year quarterback Jordan Love – are about to trade Rodgers to the Jets.
“Hearing Rodgers to the Jets is done,” Wingo tweeted. “History about to repeat itself between New York and Green Bay. Time is indeed a flat circle.”
Six days ago, it was Wingo who broke the news that Rodgers “was open” to playing for the Jets. That day, the Jets sent their top football minds to California for face-to-face meetings with Rodgers.
While ESPN’s Adam Schefter and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said no deal had been reached, one source said “old news” when asked about the resolution apparently being at hand.
Echoing Schefter and Rapoport, no deal has been made, another source said.
The rest of Monday progressed with no news. At all. However, late in the evening, The Athletic reported there's a "vibe" that the trade will happen. Another report said "all signs" are pointing to Rodgers joining the Jets.
For what it's worth, Rodgers has appeared on The Pat McAfee Show on Tuesdays for most of the year. Is the official announcement being saved for McAfee?
The timing, of course, is just part of the equation.
The Packers wanted a first-round pick, and more, for Rodgers. The finances and the Jets’ need of that first-round pick make the compensation – so long as a trade is consummated – a bit tricky.
Green Bay had no leverage without another suitor involved. Then again, the Jets had no leverage because they were hell-bent on acquiring Rodgers.
On the night the Packers lost to the Detroit Lions on Jan. 8, an embarrassing season-ending defeat to an opponent they used to beat like a drum in which Rodgers’ final pass was intercepted, Rodgers discussed the timeline of his future.
“I’m not going to hold them hostage. I understand we’re still in January here, March is free agency, so I just need some time to, like I said, get the emotion out of it and figure out what’s best,” Rodgers said.
The start of free agency on Monday marked 64 days since that comment.
So much has changed over those two-plus months, just like so much has changed over the last year.
The Packers, desperate to retain Rodgers after back-to-back MVP seasons, handed the quarterback a three-year, $150 million contract last year.
Then he once again skipped the offseason, even with a totally revamped receiver corps. Then the Packers went 8-9. And Rodgers didn’t play to his usual form for a myriad of reasons ranging from the trade of Davante Adams, the loss of offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett and a broken thumb.
Meanwhile, behind the scenes last season, Love continued to impress the Packers. As one source said over the weekend, barely a practice went by when Love didn’t make a “wow” throw.
So, the Packers were ready to move on, as team President Mark Murphy made abundantly clear on Friday at the WIAA girls state basketball tournament, when he used Rodgers’ name in the past tense and said the team would “bring him back” to retire his number.
Meanwhile, with free agency under way, the Las Vegas Raiders – who weren’t “in” on Rodgers anyway – signed Jimmy Garoppolo to be the quarterback throwing passes to Davante Adams. The Jets might have wanted Garoppolo had they been unable to get Rodgers. And the Jets lost their backup, Mike White, to the Miami Dolphins.
“We’d love to have it resolved by the start of free agency,” Murphy said.
Apparently, the resolution is about to happen.
With the Jets, Rodgers would join a championship-ready roster that has his beloved former offensive coordinator, Hackett, running that side of the ball.
Tweeted Rookie of the Year receiver Garrett Wilson:
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