The future of Aaron Rodgers. It’s a subject that has been up for speculation for the last three offseasons, and up to this point in time, Rodgers remains a member of the Green Bay Packers. But perhaps not for much longer.
Rodgers recently appeared on The Pat McAfee Show and stated that his intention for 2023 is to play for the New York Jets.
Aaron Rodgers on the Pat McAfee show: “my intention was to play with the Jets”
— uSTADIUM App (@uSTADIUM) March 15, 2023
He also mentioned the hold up is compensation on the Packers side.
Is Aaron Rodgers still on the Green Bay Packers?
The short answer to this question is “yes” but it’s much more complicated than that, in all reality. It feels like the Green Bay Packers and Aaron Rodgers are headed toward separation in the near future, but the Packers seem to be holding firm on their asking price in a trade (whatever that may be, exactly) and they are in no rush to trade him away.
That is, they are in no rush as of right now. The Packers may get a little antsy about trading away Aaron Rodgers as the 2023 NFL Draft gets closer. There’s almost no doubt that if/when the Packers trade Rodgers, they are going to want to get some immediate value for him in the form of 2023 NFL Draft currency. That obviously can’t happen if the Packers wait until after the 2023 NFL Draft, so they’re going to have to get a jump on it sometime soon.
There are financial hurdles to be cleared as well regarding Rodgers’ contract and working that side of things out with the Jets. But the Packers obviously allowed Rodgers to meet with the Jets, and it doesn’t seem like they’re going to hold Rodgers hostage for much longer, but time will tell. This has been a really odd saga since 2020 when the Packers traded up to draft Jordan Love.
What’s next for Aaron Rodgers in 2023?
It feels like the only inevitable next step is the trade between the Packers and the Jets actually going down. Rodgers seemingly was seriously considering retirement before deciding he wanted to come back and play for the Jets, where he will be reunited with former Packers OC Nathaniel Hackett. Hackett was hired by the Jets after one year on the job as head coach in Denver, where he crashed and burned with Russell Wilson under center.
Rodgers and Hackett seem to work really well together, though, and Rodgers will also be greeted by a familiar face in New York with wide receiver Allen Lazard signing there in NFL free agency.
The eventuality of Rodgers joining the New York Jets means the AFC will continue to be absolutely overloaded with QB talent. You look at each division, and there are legitimate MVP candidates in every single one with a couple of divisions boasting multiple. Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert, Joe Burrow, Trevor Lawrence, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, and now Aaron Rodgers, among others?
That is an incredible lineup of quarterbacks making for must-see TV on a weekly basis. The key for the New York Jets, given their current roster and situation, is going to be getting a multi-year commitment from Rodgers. I don’t think Rodgers’ motivation is to play for the Vikings like Brett Favre clearly wanted to back when he and the Packers were parting ways, but it does seem like he’s very seriously considered retiring for multiple years in a row now. If things don’t go well in New York in 2023, would Rodgers bail after one season?
There is a lot up in the air with this situation. Rodgers is still on the Packers. He hasn’t been traded, officially. That should happen sometime before the 2023 NFL Draft, but the Packers seem to be holding firm on an asking price, and understandably so. But soon, we should see the Packers move on to the Jordan Love era.