The packers in great jeopardy as another key player has expressed a strong desire to leave, and he’s very keen to pen a new deal with…
It appears that both Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers have the same desire for him to join the New York Jets.
The shocking news was made public by 39-year-old Rodgers on Pat McAfee’s podcast on Wednesday, after weeks of speculation about his potential trade to the Jets.
“I want to play for the New York Jets,” Rodgers said to McAfee, reiterating what had been reported—that he had asked to join the Jets instead of going back to the Packers or retiring after 18 NFL seasons.
It is still up to New York and Green Bay to come to a mutually agreeable agreement, and Rodgers claims that the Packers’ trade demands are impeding that process.
In addition to claiming to have had interest from other organizations, Rodgers stated, “I haven’t been holding anything up at this point.” “The Packers are kind of digging their heels in and trying to get compensation for me.”
On March 15, Rodgers talked about his future on the podcast of former Pro Bowl punter Pat McAfee.
On the podcast that former NFL punter Pat McAfee hosts with his former Packers colleague AJ Hawk (right), Aaron Rodgers talked about his immediate future.
The presence of former Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator and former Denver Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett was one of the factors that lured Aaron Rodgers to New York.
“The Jets are appealing for many reasons,” Rodgers stated. “He’s the coordinator there, and he’s the one coach who means more to me than any coach I’ve ever had.”
For the first time since his four-day seclusion period during which he was supposed to consider his future in the NFL, Rodgers was conversing with McAfee.
Rodgers entered the semi-underground residence with an eye toward retirement, as he revealed to McAfee.
“At this juncture, I have to acknowledge that I retired with 90% of my energy going into retirement and 10% going into play,” Rodgers stated. That’s what was on my mind. I thought to myself, “I’m sick of this.” I felt that it was best for me that I hadn’t started working out again.
According to him, Rodgers would spend one day in Oregon contemplating retirement and the next considering a second season in the NFL.
After going days without using his phone, Rodgers reappeared to discover that the Packers were considering relocating him. He claimed that following his gloomy retreat, Rodgers discovered that the club had informed him that the “door is wide open” if he wanted to go back to Green Bay.
“At that moment, it was evident to me that even though the Packers would make the appropriate public statement, they were prepared to move on,” stated Rodgers. ‘I am not sure what caused it to shift or move, or whether they simply stated, ‘We must decide now as he hasn’t decided yet.”
Although Rodgers emphasized that he doesn’t feel like a victim, he regretted that the Packers hadn’t told him so following the team’s disastrous 8-9 season in January.
The Jets would have acquired a 39-year-old Packers quarterback on previous occasions, including when they acquired Brett Favre in 2008, which paved the way for Aaron Rodgers’ rise to prominence in Green Bay.
Favre only received a conditional fourth-round selection in that trade, which was arguably fair given the Jets’ 9-7 record and lack of postseason success as the future Hall of Famer battled ailments.
It was evident that the Jets social media staff was watching Rodgers’ interview on the Pat McAfee program.
Regarding his legacy in Green Bay, Rodgers told McAfee he’s “debatably the best player in franchise history” and expressed gratitude for playing for the Packers, the team he won his only Super Bowl with, several times.
“I was the starting quarterback for the Packers for fifteen years,” said Rodgers. I adore you, Green Bay, for that. I’m grateful. We’ll cross paths again, even though I share some of your sadness.
Additionally, Rodgers addressed the many reports that have been made about his future, stating that some of them are real and others are largely untrue.
ESPN revealed on Tuesday that Aaron Rodgers sent a list of four pass catchers, including tight end Marcedes Lewis and wide receivers Randall Cobb, Allen Lazard, and Odell Beckham Jr., to the Jets.
On Wednesday, though, Rodgers disputed that reporting, labeling the ESPN piece as “ridiculous.” Rather of laying out any requests, Rodgers informed McAfee that he supplied the Jets with ‘glowing’ reports regarding a few of his former teammates.
However, a number of sources are claiming that Lazard—a former teammate of Rodgers’ from the Packers—and the Jets are close to reaching an agreement that calls for the 27-year-old receiver to receive $44 million over the course of the following four years, with $22 million guaranteed.
As an impartial observer, I believe that many people may say about Allen Lazard, “He’s a really good player.” He is someone we would adore having on our team. And after that, any intelligent person from any team may give me a call and ask, “What kind of locker room guy is Allen Lazard?” What is his level of work ethic?
“He’s a f****** great dude,” I would add. It would be fortunate for anyone to have him in the changing area.
Regarding Beckham, Rodgers saw nothing wrong with the previous Super Bowl victor standing in for him.
Who wouldn’t want Odell on their squad, to start with? stated Rodgers. But what exactly are we discussing here? I’m not making any demands.
In addition, Rodgers criticized Adam Schefter of ESPN, an NFL insider, for attempting to text the quarterback during a recent reporting assignment.
A deal between Rodgers’ former Packers teammate Allen Lazard (pictured) and the Jets is reportedly close to completion. The Jets have agreed to pay the 27-year-old receiver $44 million over the next four years, with $22 million guaranteed.
A deal between Rodgers’ former Packers teammate Allen Lazard (pictured) and the Jets is reportedly close to completion. The Jets have agreed to pay the 27-year-old receiver $44 million over the next four years, with $22 million guaranteed.
After former Las Vegas Raiders quarterback David Carr inked a four-year, $150 million contract with the New Orleans Saints earlier this month, the Rodger-Jets rumors had been brewing for weeks.
With Carr out of the picture, the Jets focused entirely on the four-time MVP.
Owner Woody Johnson, head coach Robert Saleh, general manager Joe Douglas, and Hackett were among the members of New York’s delegation who traveled to California to meet with Rodgers.
“We had a pleasant talk,” Rodgers reported on Wednesday. “I told them I wasn’t ready to decide on anything.”
Johnson was ‘enthusiastic’ about the prospect of adding Rodgers, according to an ESPN story after the meeting, and most of the team members soon followed.
The most prominent Jets player to approach Rodgers on social media to persuade him to visit New York was star cornerback Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner.
The owners of the Jets, Woody Johnson (right), Joe Douglas (left), Robert Saleh (head coach), and Nathaniel Hackett (offensive coordinator), took a plane to California to meet with Rodgers.
After that, New York restructured the contracts of tight end Tyler Conklin, cornerback D.J. Reed, and left guard Laken Tomlinson. This resulted in a $20 million salary space savings, which was somewhat required considering Rodgers’ current deal and any other possible acquisitions the Jets might have planned.
With his current contract expiring in2026, Rodgers will have $108.8 million left to play with. However, that season and 2025 are ‘dummy’ years that are solely recorded for salary cap purposes. According to ESPN, he has a fully guaranteed contract worth $59.5 million this season, the majority of which will be paid as a bonus prior to the regular season beginning.
But because Rodgers’ incentive was prorated over the final three years of the contract, the Jets wouldn’t necessarily be in a position to pay salary space if they signed him. According to ESPN, he would be worth $15.8 million in total against his team’s salary cap in 2023 and $32.5 million in 2024.
In the event that Rodgers is moved, the Packers would still have $40.3 million from his 2023 salary on their books. That represents an astounding 18% of the $224.8 million NFL pay ceiling for the current campaign.
Rodgers and the new offensive coordinator of the Jets, Nathaniel Hackett (left), formerly worked together in Green Bay.
The Jets are coming off a 7-10 campaign in which they ranked fifth defensively and had receivers Garrett Wilson and Mason Gardner win Rookie of the Year honors both offensively and defensively.
Zach Wilson, who finished 34th in the NFL with a pitiful 72.8 quarterback rating, and the offensive line were Saleh’s team’s two main causes of concern.
Wilson isn’t going away, but in the unlikely case of a trade, he will have the opportunity to study under Rodgers.
Additionally, should a deal for Rodgers be reached, the Jets may have their first reliable center since Ken O’Brien or possibly Chad Pennington.
After 18 NFL seasons, Rodgers is unlikely to stay in New York for very long, but he represents the Jets’ best chance of winning the Super Bowl since 1969, which is significant for a team that has historically had quarterback struggles.
In February, Rodgers spent four days in a 300-square-foot, semi-underground cabin at Ashland, Oregon’s Sky Cave Retreats, where he was supposed to meditate and engage in introspection in the darkness.
This week, Jets players used social media in a clear attempt to entice Rodgers to New York.
Aaron Rodgers is being courted by Jets CB Sauce Gardner and RB Breece Hall to go to New York.
Having previously spoken about spirituality and candidly shared his use of ayahuasca, Rodgers acknowledged that the experience had been difficult at times, as he battled ‘insecurities and fear.’
On March 1, Rodgers said on the Aubrey Marcus Podcast, “I really had to sit with those and go to the root of what those are and go back to childhood or college or early days of NFL and work through those moments.”
“I found a really nice sweetness and comfort with what I was sitting with that day, and that’s what retirement would look like and what would nourish my soul the best,” he added, after spending five or six hours looking through it.
Lovely conclusion, but there were a lot of challenging thoughts surrounding that uneasiness and worry about what would happen if you stopped working on your career.
It was thought that he contemplated his NFL future during his stay at the retreat. Rodgers assured Marcus that his passion for the game will ultimately drive his choice, independent of any other factors.
“It gave me such a deep calm about how I feel about the decision because my life and happiness are directly connected to how I feel about football,” Rodgers stated.
“After those two days, I felt incredibly loved, appreciated, and blessed to be living a retired life where I can take care of all of my needs and spend time with the people I care about.” and returning to play as well. I play because I fell in love with this game when I was six years old, not because I want to prove anything to someone, get money, or be spiteful. And when I’m out there, I’m delighted with my people and my guys.
