Now that Aaron Rodgers has said he wants to play for the Jets, let’s answer some questions about what comes next:
Q: When can a trade get done?
A: Whenever the Packers and Jets agree to a deal. The new league year started on Wednesday and teams are now free to execute trades.
There is nothing holding this up now except the two sides agreeing on compensation for Rodgers.
Q: Is there a deadline to get a trade done?
A: There is no firm deadline to get a trade done because Rodgers’ contract does not have any triggers in it where money gets guaranteed on a certain date.
In fact, the Packers can wait this thing out and might be inclined to.
The $58.3 million option bonus can be exercised any time before Sept. 1. Right now, Rodgers counts $31.6 million on the Green Bay salary cap.
The Packers actually would benefit if the trade happened after June 1 because the cap charge would go to $12.98 million this year.
That being said, there are reasons for urgency from both sides.
The Jets want to get this done and move on with their offseason and have their quarterback on board before the offseason program begins in April.
The Packers will want to get a draft pick or two in the 2023 draft rather than waiting for picks in 2024.
This is a question of who blinks first. Neither side has leverage.
The Packers can’t turn around and welcome Rodgers back and the Jets can’t say forget it, we’re going back to Zach Wilson. Both sides need to figure this out.
Q: Is there a precedent for this trade?
A: Not really.
It is unusual for a 39-year-old player two years removed from winning the MVP to hit the market.
When you add Rodgers’ big-money contract, things get even more complicated.
Some people have compared this to the Rams trading for Matthew Stafford or the Broncos trading for Russell Wilson, but both of those players were 33 at the time of the trades and the acquiring organization could expect to have them for years.
Rodgers could be a one- or two-year player for the Jets. Stafford and Wilson fetched packages that included multiple first-round picks.
That won’t happen in a Rodgers trade.The best comparison may be when the Jets traded for Brett Favre in 2008.
They only sent a conditional draft pick to Green Bay, which became a third-rounder.
Green Bay was more desperate to get rid of Favre then because it was August and he had just unretired. The Jets are going to have to give up more to get Rodgers.
Q: What are the Packers asking for?
A: No one is certain what the asking prices is.
There were reports on Wednesday that the Packers are not asking for multiple first-round picks.
The Jets surely are resisting giving up one first-round pick.
The thought has been the Jets could land Rodgers for a second-round pick this year and a conditional pick in 2024 that could become a first-rounder if he hits certain landmarks like taking the Jets to a Super Bowl or winning MVP.
Whatever the Packers are asking for, the Jets have resisted so far.
Q: Is there a chance this actually does not happen?
A: Anything is possible but I think there is only a very slim chance this blows up.
The Packers don’t want to be stuck with Rodgers.
The Jets have nowhere else to turn.
The two sides have to figure it out but we might be in a holding pattern for a while.
