The Green Bay Packers and New York Jets have agreed to trade longtime Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers to the Big Apple, Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst told reporters Monday.
Gutekunst said the trade has not yet been finalized as the two sides work out the details, but he expects the trade to be completed soon.
The long-awaited trade will reportedly see the four-time NFL Most Valuable Player sent to the Jets along with the Packers’ 15th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, according to reports from ESPN and NFL Network.
The Packers will receive the Jets’ 13th overall pick in this month’s draft, as well as one of the Jets’ second-round picks and their 2024 first-round draft pick if Rodgers plays at least 65% of the Jets’ offensive plays this season, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported.
Rodgers, 39, has spent his entire 18-season NFL career with the Packers, where he led the team to a 31-25 victory in Super Bowl XLV in 2011.
The NFL Draft begins Thursday night in Kansas City, Missouri.
During a regular appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” in March, Rodgers said his intention was to continue playing in the NFL, specifically for the Jets.
“(From) my side – love, appreciation and gratitude for everything that Green Bay has done for me. So much love and gratitude and just heart open for Packers fans and what it meant to be their quarterback,” he said in March. “And also the reality of situation – it is what it is – the Packers would like to move on. They’ve let me know that in so many words. … They’ve let other people know that in direct words.
“And because I still have that fire and I want to play and I would like to play in New York, it’s just a matter of getting that done at this point.”
Rodgers won MVP awards in 2011, 2014, 2020 and 2021 while setting numerous records for his accuracy and deadliness over the years.
Despite all the personal successes, Rodgers and the Packers failed to win more championship rings, wracking up numerous painful playoff losses over the years.
In recent years, Rodgers has voiced a creeping dissatisfaction with events in Green Bay, from the lack of offensive weapons he’s had to work with to the drafting of his apparent heir, Jordan Love, in the first round of the 2020 draft.
Rodgers had hinted that retirement was an option on more than one occasion, and even visited a darkness retreat this offseason as he sought clarity on his future.
Though his ability to avoid on-rushing defenders may have diminished with age, Rodgers has more than made up for it with his precision and canniness before the snap, while he has the knack of maneuvering defenses to his will.
Last season, the Packers started poorly but Rodgers lead the team on a four-game winning streak from a 4-8 record to help set up a Week 18 game with the Detroit Lions for a spot in the playoffs. Green Bay lost 20-16 to end the Packers’ season.