A former Green Bay Packer great potentially coming to the Jets in the twilight of his career? Where have we heard that before?
And according to Peter King, it may just happen again.
In his Football Morning in America Column for Pro Football Talk, King spoke on the potential likelihood of Aaron Rodgers leaving the Packers and the New York Jets being a team that could come up with a deal for the four-time MVP.
“The possibilities are delicious. Rodgers to the Jets, maybe re-teaming with ex-Pack aide Nathaniel Hackett, who has interviewed for the New York offensive coordinator job” King said in his column. “consider that Rodgers’ cap numbers in the next two seasons would be $48.3 million, combined. That’s certainly manageable.”
The Packers would have the incentive to move on from their Super Bowl-winning quarterback. According to Adam Schefter a trade between the Packers and Rodgers was “a real possibility.” With Green Bay getting impressive numbers off the bench from Jordan Love, they could do to Rodgers, what they did to Brett Favre so many years ago.
Of course, a deal would have to work out well for the Jets and the Packers as well. As Peter King writes, there’s little denying the Jets would say no to a player of Rodgers’ caliber.
“As for the compensation due Green Bay, my guess is the Pack would want at least two first-round picks.” King later added “The Woody Johnson Jets, desperate for a star QB almost since the Broadway Joe days, would happily pay that freight, I’d guess. But would Rodgers accept a deal with the Jets? We shall see.”
Rodgers would be the lone potential hurdle if a deal were to be reached. The former first-round pick had a firsthand experience last year of not having a number-one receiver on his team and the damage it could do to an offense.
While Garrett Wilson has broken New York’s receiving record by a rookie, it’s not clear if Rodgers would consider Wilson the type of #1 receiver that has become so important to have in this league.
There’s also the issue of New York needing an offensive coordinator. Gang Green has interviewed Rodgers’ former offensive coordinator as King has said, but would that be enough to tilt the scales in New York’s favor?
The Aaron Rodgers sweepstakes will be a key storyline surrounding the NFL offseason. Where he ends up, if he even ends up playing, could shake the balance of power across the league. And for the New York Jets, it’s an opportunity to get the most out of a trade with Green Bay that hasn’t worked very well before.
