The Jets’ reported trade for quarterback Aaron Rodgers elicited a number of reactions from around the NFL on Monday, including an interesting soundbite from a key figure at the center of the negotiations.
Shortly after the news broke, Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst stepped to the podium for his pre-NFL draft press conference, which expectedly became all about the megadeal. When asked why the time was right to trade Rodgers, Gutekunst raised quite a few eyebrows with his reply, as the GM praised his ability to still play at a high level but emphasized his age as a reason behind why the club was ready to move on. Gutekunst also cited the Packers’ desire to elevate fourth-year QB Jordan Love, the No. 26 pick in the 2020 draft, into the starting lineup to avoid further delaying his development.
“Aaron is obviously up there in age,” Gutekunst said, per ESPN’s Rob Demovsky. “I think he’s got some really good football left in him. As we got through the offseason, this made sense … Having [Love] sit for another year would’ve really delayed [his development].”
