Aaron Rodgers rumors: Woody Johnson update on trade wreaks of Jets desperation

March 30, 2023 ndowd

Jets owner Woody Johnson gave an update on the Aaron Rodgers trade and, while there’s optimism, there are warning signs of desperation.

We know that an Aaron Rodgers trade to the New York Jets, we know that it might take some time for it to happen as both the destination and the Green Bay Packers dig their feet into the mud, and we know that everyone is just ready for the resolution to get here.

The big unknown in all of this, though, is what the eventual trade package would look like. There have been multitudes of reports on the matter, so much so that there is now a plethora of conflicting information about what the deal will look like.

But Jets owner Woody Johnson made it clear on Tuesday at the NFL Annual Meetings that he is “confident” the deal will get done, per Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic.

Woody Johnson said “we’ve got a plan” when it comes to Aaron Rodgers. “We’re pretty confident we can get something done.”

Said there’s no deadline. #Jets

— Zack Rosenblatt (@ZackBlatt) March 28, 2023

That’s good, but what he also said can be read less charitably. Per Brian Costello of the New York Post, Johnson also said that, while no one “is hyperventilating” everyone is “anxious” to get the trade done.

Woody Johnson on waiting for Rodgers: “I think we’re anxious. We’re anxious, I guess. We look forward. We’re optimistic. We have a plan. We’re willing to stick with our plan. I don’t think anybody is hyperventilating.”

— Brian Costello (@BrianCoz) March 28, 2023

There’s a fine line between eagerness and desperation.

And the problem is that Woody Johnson sounds like someone on the wrong side of that line as he tries to make the Aaron Rodgers trade dream a reality.

Aaron Rodgers rumors: Woody Johnson trade update has Jets desperation written all over it

The Jets have made it abundantly clear with their comments about Lamar Jackson and approach with other quarterback options that it’s Aaron Rodgers or bust. The Packers know this, but if Johnson and New York could remain patient, then it might still work out favorably for the franchise.

However, that’s why the sense of Johnson and the Jets’ desperation in his comments about being “anxious” are problematic.

Yes, New York has a roster that, if they get a high level of play from Rodgers, could compete atop the AFC this season — they could’ve done so this past season with just competent quarterback play. However, Rodgers is a win-now move (something the organization knows) and not a long-term move to fix the quarterback position. The Jets still have to think about that future.

Thus, if desperation or anxiousness to get a trade completed forces New York to do something they truly don’t want to do, namely giving up too much draft capital, then it starts to throw into question the post-Rodgers plans.

At the same time, though, for a fan base and organization that has been beaten down as often as the Jets over recent years, perhaps mortgaging the future for a possible Super Bowl run is worth it in the end. That just doesn’t have to be the case, which Johnson and the front office need to keep in mind.

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