NFL teams have weighed in on Aaron Rodgers’ potential trade from the Green Bay Packers to the New York Jets.
Quarterback Rodgers, 39, stated his intention to join the Jets while being interviewed on The Pat McAfee Show last Wednesday. A trade is far from being completed, though, with a restructured contract with Rodgers yet to be negotiated, and compensation has not been negotiated with the Packers, who have been advised to demand two first-round draft picks.
A fair trade for Packers star Rodgers is a much debated topic, with pundits and ex-pros placing their valuation on the four-time NFL MVP. However, NFL teams have added their thoughts on the potential trade, with NFL reporter Albert Breer being told by some that Rodgers is not worth an outright first-round draft pick.
Breer wrote on SI : “In calling around, asking teams that are uninvolved what they’d give up, just about everyone said it should be a Day 2 pick this year, fronting a package with a conditional pick or two on the back end.”
According to reporting by Adam Schefter, Green Bay were looking for a trade return similar to that of the Detroit Lions' with Matthew Stafford - which saw the Lions receive two first-round picks, a third-round pick and Jared Goff.
A move to the Jets would see Rodgers reunite with two familiar faces: Allen Lazard and offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. Lazard completed his trade to the Jets from the Packers, penning a four-year deal worth $44million (£36.1m). Both Lazard and Rodgers are keen to reunite with Hackett, who they worked with in Green Bay between 2019 and 2021.
"There's a lot of reasons why the Jets are attractive. There's one coach who's meant as much to me as any coach I've ever had, and he happened to be the coordinator there," Rodgers said of Hackett while talking to pal McAfee.
And Lazard shares the same sentiment as Rodgers on the coordinator. Speaking in his introductory news conference Friday, Lazard said: “Knowing Hackett and our rapport and everything, and being in meetings with him, that’s some of the funnest times I’ve had with football is being with him on the field and in the meeting room.”
Lazard continued: “He’s the best teacher I've ever had in my life. And that goes from school to football, he just makes learning fun. Makes it really easy and he allows you to just go out there and play fast and not think. And because of that, is the reason I’ve had a lot of success these past few years."
