Who Won the Aaron Rodgers Trade?

The stalemate has finally come to an end, and Aaron Rodgers is officially the newest member of the New York Jets. It was clear that this move would eventually get done, however, it was just a matter of when. With the draft right around the corner, the clock was ticking for the two sides to come to an agreement.

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The Green Bay Packers sent Rodgers, the 15th overall pick in the 2023 draft, and the 170th overall pick in the 2023 draft. In return, the Jets gave up the 13th, 42nd, and 207th overall picks in this year’s draft. Along with this, they also parted with a 2024 second-round pick that will turn into a first-round pick if Rodgers plays 65% or more of the offensive snaps for New York this year.

Immediately after the news broke, Jets players Breece Hall and Sauce Gardner wasted no time doing a victory lap on social media. Hall tweeted, “My Knee feel a lil healthier now” and changed his profile picture to a photo of Rodgers from college. Gardner also changed his Instagram profile picture to the same photo of the team’s new quarterback.

Thus far, most major news sources have painted the Packers as the winner of this trade, however, the general consensus is that this was a great deal for each side. It was clear that Rodgers was not going to take another snap in a Green Bay jersey whether he was traded or not. The Packers received a solid haul of picks for him, and in return, the Jets are now Super Bowl contenders filling in the final major hole in their roster.

Did They Overpay?

While the Jets may have overpaid a bit for a veteran quarterback, if they can get two or more seasons with Rodgers at the helm, they will come out as the winners of the deal. If they spent another season with Zach Wilson as their starting quarterback, it would have been a wasted year. Their roster was far too talented for this to happen. The first-round pick swap only dropped the Jets down two picks, and they likely will still be able to select the player they were going to pick at 13.

Rodgers’ level of play with the Jets will likely resemble his 2020 and 2021 seasons rather than his down year in 2022. The Jets’ offense is loaded with weapons, and their front office has done an incredible job of picking up “Rodgers-approved” players like Alan Lazard. Along with this, the offensive coordinator for the Packers through some of Rodgers’ best seasons in Green Bay, Nathaniel Hackett, is currently the OC of the Jets. Back in a system that he is very comfortable in with elite weapons is the perfect recipe for Rodgers to turn back the clock, and the Jets to make a push for the Super Bowl.