Aaron Rodgers is going to be a New York Jet. After waiting for weeks since he announced his intentions to play for the Jets on Pat McAfee’s show, he’ll finally get the chance to do so. But was it a good move overall for the Jets?
First and foremost, the Jets have their quarterback. It goes without saying that Rodgers is the best quarterback the Jets have had in quite some time. You can even argue they haven’t had a quarterback as decorated as Rodgers since Joe Namath.
Rodgers also has had numbers the Jets have either never seen or rarely seen. No Jets quarterback has ever thrown for 4,000 yards in a season. Rodgers has done so ten times. Only one Jets quarterback (Ryan Fitzpatrick, 31 in 2015) has thrown 30 touchdown passes in a single season. Rodgers has done so eight times.
The excitement surrounding the Jets’ organization is beyond palpable at this point. The entire team is buzzing over their potential this season now that Rodgers is under center. So from those aspects, this is a clear win for the Jets.
But did the Jets give up too much to get their star quarterback? The Jets agreed to a pick swap in the first round, a swap of picks in the middle of day three and are giving up a second-round pick this year and a second next year that can (and almost likely will) become a first.
Jets receive: Aaron Rodgers, No. 15 pick, No. 170 pick
Packers receive: No. 13 pick, No. 42 pick, No. 207 pick, 2024 second-round pick that becomes a first if Rodgers plays 65 percent of 2023 snaps
Effectively, the Jets are sending a first and a second to the Packers in this deal. They were able to get a condition tied to the 2024 pick. The Packers wanted a straight first-round pick, the Jets wanted some sort of condition. The interesting part here is that the condition deals with Rodgers’ playing time in 2023 rather than his playing in 2024. If all goes according to plan, Rodgers will easily play 65 percent of the snaps and Green Bay will get that first-round pick from New York.
That said, the Jets could be thinking, and certainly hoping, along the lines that if Rodgers plays well and the Jets do become a contender next season, that pick is going to be in the low 20s, at best. And really, this was about what we expected in terms of the compensation for the Packers. It always felt likely that the Jets would send a second-round pick this year and a second that could become a first next year.
So on the surface, it seems like a high package. But if the Jets are contending for a Super Bowl this season, and certainly if they get to the Super Bowl and perhaps even win it, this trade is absolutely worth it. It also will be worth it if Rodgers plays in 2024. Then the Jets will at least get two seasons out of Rodgers, which was always the hope.
Time will tell if the trade was ultimately worth it, but the Jets are pushing all in this season and they finally nailed down their quarterback.
Grade: A
This feels like a win-win all around. The Packers get an extra pick this year and get the first-round pick next year. The pick swap this year was basically the concession for the Packers agreeing to the conditional pick next year rather than a straight first. The Jets do now have a lower pick in the first round, but they’re still in position for someone like Broderick Jones or Nolan Smith or Darnell Wright. They can even trade down again and add an extra pick or two down the line. The Jets currently have just five picks in the draft and none after round five. Still, they’re in a good position this year and finally ready to compete and win.
