A vital member of the Bays team declared his resignation due to family matters.
Aaron Rodgers has stated that he intends to sign with the New York Jets after spending 18 years with the Green Bay Packers.
In spite of granting Rodgers, 39, permission to negotiate with the Jets over a possible trade, Green Bay made him the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL last season.
Last week, the four-time NFL MVP visited with representatives of the Jets in his home state of California.
“I’ve already made my decision; this is just clearing things up for everybody that’s interested,” he stated.
“I think since Friday I’ve made it clear that my intention was to play, and my intention was to play for the New York Jets,” he stated in an interview with The Pat McAfee Show.
“I haven’t been holding anything up at this point; it’s been compensation that the Packers are trying to get for me and kind of digging their heels in,” he stated on the Pat McAfee show.
“It is interesting at this point to step back and take a look at the whole picture.”
Reports state that trade terms and a contract have not yet been agreed upon.
The purpose of Rodgers’ February four-day “darkness retreat” in Oregon, where he was confined to a 300-square-foot, partially underground home, was, according to him, to spend time alone with his thoughts, achieve complete clarity and tranquility, and balance his emotions.
Before he left on the retreat, he declared he was ninety percent sure he was going to retire.
After the Packers traded up to choose Jordan Love in the first round of the 2020 draft, Rodgers has had a tense relationship with the team’s administration. Rodgers assisted Green Bay in winning the Super Bowl at the end of the 2010 season.
Although Rodgers was named the NFL MVP in 2020 and 2021, Green Bay decided to let him participate more in team meetings and rework his deal. However, Rodgers hasn’t been able to win a second Super Bowl.
Additionally, he had not stated if he would stay with the Packers, retire, or play for another team after the team missed the playoffs the previous season.
He thought that the Packers’ attitude toward him had altered after “emerging from his darkness,” and he wished the team had been more upfront with him about their intentions.
“From my side, all the love, appreciation, and gratitude for everything Green Bay has done for me,” Rodgers stated.
“It is what it is, really. The Packers are eager to go on. They have communicated that to me in a multitude of ways and directly to others.
“And because I still have that fire and I want to play, I’d like to play in New York; it’s just a matter of getting that done at this point.”
The Jets were searching for a new starting quarterback after losing faith in 23-year-old Zach Wilson, the second overall pick in 2021, during the previous season. The Jets have the longest play-off drought (12 years) and have not had a winning season since 2015.
After Derek Carr, 31, was released by the Las Vegas Raiders and signed with the New Orleans Saints, they turned their attention to Rodgers.
Having played for the Packers his entire NFL career, Rodgers holds the records for most touchdown passes (475) and passing yards (59,055), both of which are second only to Brett Favre.
Just like with Love, Rodgers spent three years as the backup quarterback before Favre was traded to the Jets in 2008, which made him the starting quarterback in Green Bay. It is now anticipated that the 24-year-old will start for the Packers in lieu of Rodgers.
In other news, Ezekiel Elliott, the NFL’s top rusher in 2016 and 2018, was let go by the Dallas Cowboys, a seasoned running back.
The 28-year-old, a first-round draft pick in 2016, was released. “This is one of the toughest parts of operating a team,” owner Jerry Jones remarked.
Elliott signed a $90 million, six-year contract in 2019, but injuries have hampered him recently. He departs as the third-best rushing leader in Cowboys history.
“Zeke’s impact and influence are seared into the Cowboys franchise in a very special and indelible way,” Jones stated.
