New York Jets general manager Joe Douglas hailed Lamar Jackson as a ‘fantastic player’ but insisted his team will press ahead with a trade for Aaron Rodgers.
On Monday, Jackson - whose future has been one of the biggest storylines across the offseason - announced he had requested a trade from the Ravens earlier this month on 2 March. Baltimore placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on the 26-year-old five days later, allowing teams to negotiate with Jackson while he and the Ravens have until 17 July to agree a multi-year extension.
Other NFL teams may sign the former MVP to an offer sheet - and Jackson is clearly willing to force a move if needed with his trade request - which has meant some figures have linked the Jets with a move for the 26-year-old should a trade for four-time MVP Rodgers collapse. While negotiation with the Green Bay Packers remain at a stalemate, it appears the Jets have no intention of pursuing Jackson.
Ultimately, New York clearly feel an agreement will be reached with the Packers at some stage. When asked if Jackson is an option on the table for the Jets, general manager Douglas was fairly dismissive.
He said: “First of all, Lamar Jackson is a fantastic player but where we stand it would be disingenuous and negotiating in bad faith if we went down that path. Right now, we have our plan, we have our process and we're sticking to that.”
It makes sense for the Jets to make this their stance publicly, it is difficult to dismiss the potential of adding Jackson to an already loaded roster. The 26-year-old became the second unanimous winner of the MVP award in 2019 as he enjoyed one of the most incredible individual performances in NFL history.
With that said, the Jets would have to be comfortable paying an immense price both in draft capital and contract for Jackson’s services, while he has also had health issues over the past few seasons. The Jets clearly feel comfortable they will seal a trade for Rodgers.
Douglas suggested there isn’t much urgency on getting the deal done at this moment, but the Jets remain optimistic that it will happen eventually. It’s likely we see this standoff run up until the NFL Draft at the end of next month, where capital can play a major role in the decision-making for both teams.
While head coach Robert Saleh recently admitted he expected the trade to be done by now, he insisted there is no sense of urgency in the situation. It seems the Jets are willing to wait to get their man in Rodgers, who revealed a few weeks ago on the Pat McAfee Show that he intended to play for New York in the 2023 season.
