Brian Gutekunst and Joe Douglas haven’t gotten a deal done for Aaron Rodgers. Two smart general managers are struggling to figure out a complicated trade with unique dynamics, but each side wants the same thing: Rodgers playing for the New York Jets in 2023.
While Gutekunst and Douglas continue trying to complete a trade, Zach Kruse of Packers Wire and Billy Riccette of Jets Wire decided to give the negotiation side a try.
The final result of our back-and-forth: Aaron Rodgers to the Jets in exchange for a 2023 second-round pick (No. 43), wide receiver Elijah Moore and a conditional 2024 pick (starts as a third-round pick but would turn into a first-round pick if Rodgers is on the roster on the fifth day of the 2024 league year). Also, the Packers pay no part of his nearly $60 million roster bonus.
There was an attempt to get two first-round picks, an attempt to get 2022 first-round pick Jermaine Johnson, and an attempt to get Darnell Savage included in the deal. The Jets wanted us to pay a big chunk of Rodgers’ salary.
The compromise was a second-rounder and Moore (2021 second-round pick) as the 2023 compensation and the potential of a 2024 first-round pick if Rodgers plays a second season in New York.
The deal provides the Packers with another top-50 pick to address a roster need and build around Jordan Love this year, plus Moore, a talented receiver who caught five touchdown passes as a rookie and could be an excellent complementary weapon alongside Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs. Moore is 23, on a cheap rookie deal and plays a position of need, making him an ideal piece to add here and bridge the gap.
Rodgers turns 40 in December and hasn’t committed to playing past 2023, so the 2024 pick had to be conditional. If he plays a second season in New York, the Packers get a first-rounder next year. If he doesn’t, the Packers get a third-rounder.
So, the trade becomes this: One year of Rodgers in New York for a second-round pick in 2023, Moore and a third-round pick in 2024, or two years of Rodgers in New York for a second-round pick in 2023, Moore and a first-round pick in 2024.
Missing out on the 13th overall pick hurts here, but the Packers really can’t afford to pay more of Rodgers’ salary (which would accelerate immediately onto the team’s cap), and the Jets are taking on what could be nothing more than a one-year rental at quarterback that comes equipped with a $60 million bonus this year.
There are so many different factors in play here. The Packers are moving on at quarterback and don’t want to pay the big bonus, but Rodgers’ overall contract and playing timeline are big hurdles. The Jets are boxed in at quarterback and need to get a deal done for Rodgers. A deal must get done before the draft to include 2023 picks, and the Packers need to get a deal done before Week 1 to avoid paying the bonus. The Jets just need Rodgers on the roster.
Who knows how this will play out? If nothing else, this exercise proved how difficult it will be to figure out a compromise that works for both teams.
