NFL rumors: Trey Lance could cause Aaron Rodgers trade to implode

With the San Francisco 49ers taking trade calls for quarterback Trey Lance, could this ruin the New York Jets’ chances of landing Aaron Rodgers from the Green Bay Packers?

The 2023 NFL Draft is a little over a week away, and the fanbases of the New York Jets and Green Bay Packers are wondering if an Aaron Rodgers trade will be completed before the three-day event concludes on Apr. 29. Rodgers said he intends to play for the Jets, but the two sides have not yet reached an agreement on a trade. One of the holdups is Jets owner Woody Johnson reportedly being unwilling to surrender a first-round pick for Rodgers due to the quarterback’s comments about how close he was to retirement

There was some quarterback trade news that didn’t involve Rodgers and that was a report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport that the San Francisco 49ers were fielding trade calls for quarterback Trey Lance, the former No. 3 overall pick. That of course only further opened the door for the “Rodgers to the 49ers” rumors that has been buzzing recently.

During Wednesday’s episode of WFAN’s “Tiki and Tierney,” former New York Giants running back Tiki Barber expressed his belief that the Jets could be in trouble in regards to landing Rodgers with this Lance news. Add Brock Purdy’s comments that he may not play in the 2023 season due to UCL surgery, and Barber warns that the Rodgers to the 49ers talk could have “some validity.”

“All of this little simmering coming out of this thing…about Aaron Rodgers actually going to the 49ers instead of the Jets actually has some validity,” said Barber, h/t Audacy.

“If the 49ers trade Trey Lance, and Brock Purdy isn’t available to play this year because of UCL surgery…they will go get – and they’re OK with mortgaging their future – this team will go get Aaron Rodgers if he’s available, and the Jets will be stuck sitting out in the cold with their underwear on, and that’s it.”

Barber’s full comments can be heard on the podcast version of “Tiki and Tierney,” which you can listen to at this link.

NFL rumors: Could Trey Lance trade ruin Aaron Rodgers deal to Jets?

It would certainly be ironic that Rodgers ends up with the 49ers, the team that passed on selecting him first overall in the 2005 NFL Draft in favor of Alex Smith.

The real question that remains is, do the 49ers really want to trade away Lance, especially if Purdy won’t be healthy for the 2023 season. That would then leave Sam Darnold as the lone quarterback on the roster, which as Barber points out, would open the door of making a move, and Rodgers is available.

One issue that does stick out is that the 49ers have no first or second-round draft picks this year. Their highest picks are three compensatory third-round picks. But, they do have their first and second-round picks in 2024 and 2025. Let’s not forget, the 49ers have shown to be one of the more aggressive teams, specifically with the trades to move up to draft Lance and to acquire running back Christian McCaffrey.

But, the other question that remains is do the Packers want to trade Rodgers in conference to the 49ers, a team that has eliminated them four times in the playoffs since the quarterback entered the NFL?

Could Lance be a part of a potential deal? Who knows. What is known is that the Packers have publicly stated they are all-in on Jordan Love, their 2020 first-round pick who showed flashes of being a good starting quarterback during his limited playing time through his first three years in the league.

As for the Jets, this would be a nightmare scenario for them. There are limited to no great options remaining for them. The Jets let it be known they were going to bring in a proven starter to help take the team to the playoffs and potentially a Super Bowl, especially after Zach Wilson flopped in his second year in the NFL. They have an agreement from Rodgers that he would join the team, but they can not reach an agreement with the Packers on trade conditions. Even so, Jets general manager Joe Douglas said during a WFAN event that Rodgers “is gonna be here.” Here as in New York. But if they were to hypothetically lose out on Rodgers, where would they turn to next? Wilson again, who the fanbase has lost faith in? As mentioned, the options remaining for them are very slim.

With the 2023 NFL Draft approaching, the Jets and Packers fanbases will be waiting to see if Rodgers is on the move, or if this will drag out deep in the summer as we approach training camp.