GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – While the wheels aren’t up, the wheels are certainly in motion regarding the up in the air future of Aaron Rodgers. The Super Bowl winning, four time NFL Most Valuable Player quarterback still hasn’t given his current employer, the Green Bay Packers a decision on how or if he wants to spend a 19th season in professional football. Nonetheless, an entourage from the New York Jets boarded owner Woody Johnson’s private jet today and flew across the country to meet with Rodgers in-person to discuss his future plans and whether plying his wares in East Rutherford, New Jersey this fall might be worth considering.
This was the first significant movement in the off-season Rodgers watch since he emerged from his isolation-darkness retreat a week ago when he said the four day sojourn gave him a new perspective on his life.
Two things are in play now.
The Jets are just as serious about wooing a winning, NFL veteran quarterback to a young and talented team as they were 15 years ago when they traveled to Mississippi and convinced Brett Favre to give the Big Apple a try and even more importantly, the Packers had to give the Jets permission to even speak to Rodgers. The first contact was reportedly made on Monday and today, Johnson, along with Head Coach Robert Saleh and offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett headed west for the QB visit.
That could be a signal from the Packers that if Rodgers believes the grass may be greener in a green and white uniform versus green and gold, let’s find a way to make it happen.
That’s where things could get sticky. Rodgers is under contract with the Packers for two more seasons with a couple of voidable years tacked on to spread out payments for cap purposes. He’s guaranteed 58.3 million dollars this season under teams of the three year extension signed just last spring. His cap number for 2023 is 31 million dollars and if the Packers indeed trade him, they’ll take on a 40 million dollar dead money cap hit. Even if Rodgers retires, the dead money will be there. How the Packers and any trading partner hammer out contract details will have to include significant restructuring, not to mention draft pick or veteran player compensation coming back to Green Bay in return.
Then again, Rodgers could also tell the Jets thanks for the interest but I might want to finish my career where it started. But Rodgers hasn’t publicly said anything…yet.
Significant deals were reached with other veteran quarterbacks this week. Derek Carr is now a New Orleans Saint on a 4 year, 160 million dollar deal. Geno Smith got a three year, 105 million dollar extension with Seattle after leading the Seahawks to a Wild Card berth. Daniel Jones agreed to a 4 year deal with the New York Giants with 82 million guaranteed in the first two. Finally Baltimore slapped the non-exclusive franchise tag on Lamar Jackson, allowing him to seek a big contract with any NFL team, although the Ravens will have an opportunity to match that offer or pass to get two first round picks in return.
