When March started, it seemed almost certain that if Aaron Rodgers was going to be traded, it would happen before free agency started on Wednesday, but with the way things are looking now, it’s starting to feel like ‘ going to have to wait a lot longer to see a trade fall.
It seems one thing holding back a potential deal is the Packers’ asking price for their star quarterback, and Rodgers even confirmed that fact during an interview Wednesday on “The Pat McAfee Show.”
“I haven’t held anything back at this point,” Rodgers said after confirming he wanted to play for the Jets. “That’s the compensation the Packers are trying to get for me.”
So what are the Packers trying to get for their star QB?
During an appearance Wednesday morning on ESPN’s “Get Up” Adam Schefter has revealed what the Packers might be looking for in a possible trade with the Jets.
“My understanding is that within the Packers organization they feel he is worth a similar package to what the Rams once got for Matthew Stafford, who is multiple [first-round picks]”Schefter said.
If you need a quick refresher on Stafford tradethe Lions got two first-round picks, a third-round pick AND a starting quarterback (Jared Goff) in exchange for Stafford.
Although the Packers made it clear over the weekend that they wanna quit Rodgersthey don’t plan to give it away for free, which appears to have caused a stalemate in a potential trade with the Jets.
“The Green Bay Packers, while they’d like to wipe the salary off their books and gain some clarity, they’re not rushing to [make the trade]”Schefter said. “The Jets aren’t willing to give up on what the Packers are asking for and so it could take a while.”
According on NFL.com, the Packers aren’t looking for multiple first-round picks, but as Schefter noted, whatever the Packers are looking for, the Jets aren’t willing to pay that price just yet. Even though the Packers might think Rodgers is worth two first-round picks, they might be willing to settle for just one first-round pick (former NFL general manager Michael Lombardi said last week that Green Bay the asking price was two draft picks with at least one of them being a first round).
If you’re the Jets, there’s almost no way you’re willing to give up a first-round pick (or two) for Rodgers. The problem with giving up such compensation is that the Jets have no idea how much longer the 39-year-old will play. If he goes to New York and retires after one season, the Jets will feel ripped off if they give up a first round.
Along with the draft picks, the Jets will also have to pay Rodgers an astronomical sum in 2023 or they will have to negotiate a new deal with him, which could also take a while. If his deal doesn’t change, Rodgers would earn $59.465 million from the Jets in 2023, though he’d only be about $15.5 million off the salary cap (of that $59.465 million, $58.3 million dollars would be treated as an option premium, so the Jets would be able to prorate it over four years).
If the Jets have to give up two first-round picks and pay a quarterback $59 million, they might as well go after Lamar Jackson.
As for Rodgers, the downside for the Jets is that the Packers are apparently in no rush to get a deal done. If they can’t get the asking price, they’ll just wait. According to PFT, the Packers are more than happy with hold Rodgers until at least the draft if they must.
The most likely scenario is that it all ends with Rodgers in New York, but it’s unclear when all of that will happen, as the Packers and Jets clearly still have serious negotiations to go through.