Winners, Losers as Packers Trade Rodgers to Jets
GREEN BAY, Wis. – Who won the Aaron Rodgers trade? Obviously, time will tell on that answer. The play of the Green Bay Packers with Jordan Love, the success of the New York Jets with Rodgers and how the Packers use their new draft arsenal will factor in the long-term answers. There’s the financial perspective, too.
But who has time to wait?
By the trade-value chart, I say the Packers won.
How about the national punditry? Here are snippets of their longer pieces.
Sports Illustrated: Matt Verderame awarded grades, with the Packers getting an A-minus and the Jets a C. “New York is giving up significant assets, including at least one top-50 pick and likely another in 2024,” he wrote. “Still, the roster is stocked with young talent such as Garrett Wilson and Sauce Gardner, and the Jets have no chance in the ultracompetitive AFC without a top-tier quarterback. Now, New York can realistically compete in '23.”
NFL.com: Judy Battista has a long list of winners and losers, which includes the NFC (winners) and AFC East (losers). Among the losers: You.
“Between Favre and Rodgers, Packer backers have enjoyed three decades of extraordinary quarterback play. Neither player minded drama, and the annual late-career will-he-or-won't-he musings could grow tiresome for a segment of the fan base. But those who were ready to move on should be careful what they wish for. Love may turn out to be just as good, but at least for now, Cheeseheads are thrust into the same netherworld of quarterback uncertainty that much of the league endures every year.”
USA Today: The Jets won in the short run but the Packers in the long run, Nate Davis wrote. The Packers have a shot to help Love’s supporting cast and keeping Green Bay’s quarterbacking legacy – which started with Arnie Herber, Davis correctly observed, and continued with Bart Starr, Brett Favre and Rodgers.
New York Post: From the Big Apple perspective, Jets fans, Jets receiver Garrett Wilson, Jets offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett and Love were the winners. Among the losers? Jets GM Joe Douglas, who “seemingly caved” on terms of the trade.
CBS Sports: Rodgers won for getting what he wanted, Love won for getting his chance and the Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots lost because of their place in the AFC East standings. Zach Wilson lost, too, for bombing as the No. 2 pick in the draft and being benched for a 39-year-old.
Sporting News: The Jets, who had one of the worst quarterback situations in the NFL, were winners by getting the Hall of Fame quarterback, who is being reunited with Nathaniel Hackett and inheriting Rookie of the Year receiver Garrett Wilson.
The Athletic: For this trade to be a win for the Packers, Love must play “as well as or better” than Rodgers this year, wrote Dan Pompei.
Athlon: This is “rare three-way win” for the Packers, Jets and Rodgers, though New York is gambling on a 39-year-old quarterback who might only play one season.
Pro Football Network: The Packers got an A for getting an “excellent” trade package from the Jets despite being “backed in a corner” and really having only one trade partner. “The Rodgers trades gives the Packers options,” Dallas Robinson wrote. “Moving on from a Hall of Famer is never easy, but Green Bay didn’t have much of a choice, and they still elicited a solid return from the Jets. Now, Gutekunst and Matt LaFleur can begin rebuilding the Packers’ roster around Love.”
The Big Lead: Love’s among the winners; LaFleur’s among the losers. After three years on the sideline, Love finally gets his chance. But, as Ryan Phillips noted, the pressure will be immense. “Have fun following a legend, buddy,” Phillips wrote. Meanwhile, LaFleur’s on the “hot seat.”
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