Who Won Packers-Jets Trade for Aaron Rodgers?

Here's the breakdown of what the Green Bay Packers will receive from the New York Jets in Monday's blockbuster trade for Aaron Rodgers.

Author:
Bill Huber
Updated:
Apr 24, 2023 8:58 PM EDT
Original:
Apr 24, 2023

GREEN BAY, Wis. – For all the talk about leverage, who won the Aaron Rodgers trade between the Green Bay Packers and New York Jets?

Was it the Packers, who had the Jets over a barrel because they desperately needed to seal the deal on the four-time MVP?

Or was it the Jets, who had the Packers begging to get out from under his bloated contract?

Of course, the “winner” of the trade won’t be determined for at least a year. Did the Packers rebuild with their draft picks? Did Rodgers win the Super Bowl? Did Love show he’s a legit NFL starting quarterback?

Those questions are unanswerable. For now, it would seem, the Packers did quite well in sending the 39-year-old quarterback to New York for what might be nothing more than a one-year rental.

By the Rich Hill trade-value chart, the Packers received:

336 points by moving up to No. 13 of the first round

142 points by getting No. 42 of the second round

3 points by getting No. 207 of the sixth round

The Jets received:

315 points by moving down to No. 15 of the first round

8 points by getting No. 170 of the fifth round

Added together, that’s a net gain of 168 points – the equivalent of the 36th pick of the draft.

But, as they like to say on infomercials, wait, there’s more.

The Packers will gain a second-round pick in the 2024 draft that could move to a first-round pick if Rodgers plays 65 percent of the snaps. Assuming Rodgers hits that number:

- If the Jets have the worst record of the wild card teams and lose in the first round of the playoffs, the Packers would pick 19th. That would be an additional 278 points, pushing the total to 446 points, or the equivalent of the sixth pick of the draft.

- If the Jets have the worst record of the teams that gets knocked out in the divisional round, the Packers would pick 25th. That would be 230 points, pushing the total to 398 points, or the equivalent of the eighth pick of the draft.

- If the Jets have the worst record of the teams that lose in the conference championship games, the Packers would pick 29th. That would be 202 points, pushing the total to 370. That would be the equivalent of the 10th pick of the draft.

- If the Jets win the Super Bowl, the Packers would pick 32nd. That would be 184 points, pushing the total to 352 points, the equivalent of the 12th pick of the draft.

- If the Jets were to finish a disappointing 8-9 and pick 15th, Green Bay would accumulate 483 points. That would be worth the fourth pick of the draft.

“Gutey wins” one league source said of Packers GM Brian Gutekunst. “I’m sure the Jets are happy, but they gave up a lot for a quarterback who hasn’t delivered in a real big game in a long time and has to get through some really powerful teams to get to the Super Bowl. For Green Bay, this is a good draft to be getting an extra second-rounder. To get a first next year is huge.”

Gutekunst doesn’t want to hear this team is rebuilding. “We’re chasing Super Bowls,” he proclaimed. Whatever you want to call it, having three of the first 45 picks in this year’s draft and two first-rounders in 2024 should help set the stage for a quick rebound.