NFL rumors: Insider proposes ‘fairest’ Aaron Rodgers trade for Packers, Jets
What would the “fairest” Aaron Rodgers trade look like for both the Packers and Jets. An NFL insider proposed a deal based on the QB’s longevity.
Aaron Rodgers wants to be traded from the Packers to the Jets. That much is clear and simple.
Actually working out a deal that puts Rodgers in a Jets uniform? That’s the tricky part.
It’s made no less complicated by the Packers’ reported asking price to trade the 39-year-old quarterback. They apparently want a first round pick, specifically New York’s No. 13 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. The Jets don’t seem game on that front.
What would a fair trade between Green Bay and New York actually look like? Peter King has a proposal that makes a whole lot of sense.
NFL rumors: Peter King proposes ‘fairest’ Aaron Rodgers trade for Packers, Jets
Here’s the crux of King’s proposal: The Jets get Rodgers. In return, they give the Packers their 2023 second round pick, No. 43 overall, and a conditional pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
That conditional selection is the key to the deal because its value would be based on whether Rodgers plays in 2024.
“If he plays 100 snaps or more in 2024, the Jets give Green Bay a first-round pick. If Rodgers plays less than that, the Jets give Green Bay a third-rounder,” King suggested.
The compromise works on both sides of the equation, especially since the Jets are the ones with leverage in this situation. They have every reason to hold onto the No. 13 pick and play hardball with the Packers. Yes, they want Rodgers, but they’re not on the hook for his massive salary the way Green Bay is.
In this game of chicken, the potential damage sustained by the Packers would be greater than that of the Jets.
So the Packers would have to give up on the guarantee of the first-rounder.
But New York does want Rodgers and they’ve seemingly built their offseason around him. So they need to meet Green Bay somewhere. That’s the conditional pick.
The Jets would have to risk giving up a first rounder, but only if Rodgers plays two seasons for them, allowing the Packers to potentially profit down the line.
Seems fair, right?
