Aaron Rodgers wants to play for the New York Jets, he told the Green Bay Packers, who responded by telling the four-time MVP they want him to move on from the club he’s played for the past 18 seasons.
Rodgers, 39, revealed the bombshell on Pat McAfee’s podcast Wednesday following weeks of rumors about his impending move to the Jets.
‘My intention is to play for the New York Jets,’ Rodgers told McAfee.
New York and Green Bay still need to make a trade that satisfies both teams, but for now, Rodgers’ future with the Packers appears to be over, while his tenure with the Jets is likely to begin soon. immediately.
Regarding his legacy in Green Bay, Rodgers told McAfee that he was the ‘greatest player in franchise history.’
Aaron Rodgers discussed his immediate future on former NFL punter Pat McAfee’s podcast
Rodgers spoke with McAfee for the first time since his four-day blackout, during which he is expected to ponder his NFL future.
Rodger-Jets speculation has been rife for weeks, and has only intensified since former Las Vegas Raiders quarterback David Carr signed a four-year, $150 million deal with the New Orleans Saints last month.
With Carr out of the options, the Jets seem to be turning their full attention to the four-time MVP.
New York recently sent a contingent to California to meet with Rodgers, including owner Woody Johnson, head coach Robert Saleh, general manager Joe Douglas, and newly hired offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett – a close friend and former co-worker of the four-tome MVP .
Following the meeting, ESPN reported that Johnson was “excited” about the opportunity to add Rodgers, and many of the team’s personnel followed suit.
Jets owner Woody Johnson (right), general manager Joe Douglas (left), head coach Robert Saleh and offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett flew to California to meet with Rodgers
Robert Saleh (pictured) could go from Zach Wilson to Aaron Rodgers under center
Several Jets players have reached out to Rodgers on social media in attempts to convince him to come to New York, most notably star cornerback Ahmad ‘Sauce’ Gardner.
New York next renewed the contracts of left guard Laken Tomlinson, cornerback DJ Reed, and tight end Tyler Conklin, saving about $20 million in cap space, a necessity given Rodgers’ current contract and others other potential signings the Jets may have planned.
Rodgers has $108.8 million remaining on his current contract, which runs through 2026, although that season and 2025 are considered ‘dummy’ years that are only on the books for salary cap purposes. His deal is fully guaranteed for $59.5 million this season, most of which comes in the form of a bonus before the start of the regular season, according to ESPN.
But the Jets wouldn’t necessarily be hurting for cap space if they got him, as Rodgers’ bonus is prorated over the final three years of the deal. In total, he will count $15.8 million against his team’s salary cap in 2023 and $32.5 million for 2024, according to ESPN.
Nathaniel Hackett (left), the Jets’ new offensive coordinator, previously worked with Rodgers in Green Bay
The Packers, meanwhile, would still carry $40.3 million of Rodgers’ 2023 salary on their books should he be traded. That’s a whopping 18 percent of the NFL’s $224.8 million salary cap for this year.
Aside from Rodgers, the Jets appear to be making room for some of his preferred teammates.
On Tuesday, ESPN reported that Rodgers gave the Jets a list of four pass catchers he wants to see in New York: wide receivers Randall Cobb, Allen Lazard and Odell Beckham Jr., as well as tight end Marcedes Lewis.
Now multiple outlets are reporting a deal is imminent between Lazard, a former Packers teammate of Rodgers, and the Jets, who have agreed to pay the 27-year-old receiver $44 million over the next four year with a guaranteed $22 million.
Multiple outlets are reporting a deal is imminent between Allen Lazard (pictured), a former Packers teammate of Rodgers, and the Jets, who have agreed to pay the 27-year-old receiver $44 million in next four years with $22 million guaranteed
The Jets are coming off a 7-10 season, in which they boasted the fifth-ranked defense, as well as offensive and defensive Rookies of the Year in receivers Garrett Wilson and Gardner.
The biggest areas of concern for Saleh’s team are with the offensive line and at quarterback, where Zach Wilson finished 34th in the NFL with a dismal 72.8 quarterback rating.
Wilson likely won’t be going anywhere, but will instead get a chance to learn under Rodgers in the event of a trade.
And if there is a deal for Rodgers, the Jets could have their first solid presence under center from Chad Pennington or even Ken O’Brien.
Rodgers is unlikely to have a long tenure in New York after 18 NFL seasons, but for a team that has notoriously struggled to find quarterbacks, he represents the Jets’ best chance to return to the Super Bowl for the first time since 1969.
In February, Rodgers spent four days at Sky Cave Retreats in Ashland, Oregon in a 300-square foot, semi-underground cabin, where he was expected to meditate and self-reflect in the darkness.
After emerging from his retreat, Rodgers, who has previously spoken about spirituality and openly discussed his use of ayahuasca, admitted that the ordeal proved tough at times as he struggled with ‘uncertainty and fear.’
“I really have to sit down with those and get to the root of what they are and go back to childhood or college or the early days of the NFL and work on those moments,” Rodgers said on the Aubrey Marcus Podcast on March 1.
‘After five, six hours of going through that I found a great sweetness and comfort in what was sitting that day and that’s what retirement is going to look like and what’s going to nourish my soul a lot,’ he said. .
“It’s a good ending there, but there’s also a lot of hard reflection on insecurity and fear about what happens when you turn off the lights on your career.”
He is believed to have used his time in retreat, in part, to weigh his NFL future. Rodgers told Marcus that his decision would stem from his love of the game, rather than any other motive.
‘My life and my happiness are directly connected to how I feel about football and this has given me a deep calm about how I feel about the decision,’ said Rodgers,
‘I ended those two days with deep love and admiration and blessings in a retired life of fulfilling all the needs I have and spending time with the people I love. And also come back and play. Not playing out of spite or to prove something to someone or for money but playing because I fell in love with this game when I was 6 years old. And I’m happy with my company and my people when I’m out.’
