10 March 2023 , 22:38
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The New York Jets have been urged to pull out of a trade for four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers in favour of using a bridge quarterback like Kirk Cousins and Jacoby Brissett.
Jets owner Woody Johnson - who is keen on securing a high-profile quarterback for the 2023 season - met with the Green Bay Packers quarterback in California this week, according to ESPN’s Dianna Russini.There was optimism about completing a deal with Rodgers ahead of the meeting, but the Jets front office are reportedly more confident after the encouraging sit down between the two parties.
On Tuesday, Johnson, general manager Joe Douglas, head coach Robert Saleh and offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett flew to Rodgers’ native California to gauge his interest. The 39-year-old is yet to make a decision over his future after emerging from a highly-publicised four-day darkness retreat in Oregon but he is certainly open to a move to New York.
While Rodgers has publicly flirted with the idea of retirement, joining another franchise and returning the Packers for a 19th season, the Jets appear determined to flesh out a deal. However, sports personality Bill Simmons believes the Jets should cancel their plans to bring Rodgers to the Big Apple and add to their talented roster.
"My question is if they don't do this, then what do you do?” Simmons said on the Bill Simmons podcast. “Get a stop-gap guy, get a C+ or B- quarterback on this team.
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“Minnesota, Kirk Cousins has one year left on his deal - are they excited about keeping him? I've got no idea. What if they just traded for Kirk Cousins for the year, or got Jacoby Brissett, and said ‘we watched those Browns games, you were pretty solid. Not great, not bad, maybe that's all we need’.
The Green Bay Packers front office reportedly don't want Aaron Rodgers to return as the franchise prepares for Jordan Love to take the reins (Mike Roemer/AP/REX/Shutterstock)“Then they can put all the money somewhere else and try to get the totality of a football team. That's what I would do if I was the Jets.”
Amid rumours of Rodgers’ sensational potential switch to the Jets, Defensive Rookie of the Year Sauce Gardner posted a video where he is joined by Garrett Wilson - the Offensive Rookie of the Year - and Breece Hall around a fire where they burned the cheesehead Gardner donned after New York defeated Green Bay 27-10 win at Lambeau Field. The trio discussed how they'd feel about Rodgers joining the team - and they are clearly excited about the prospect.
Rodgers signed a monster new contract with the Packers last offseason to earn $50.27m per year through the 2026 season, when he will be 43 years of age. Rodgers finished 2022 with 12 interceptions - the most he threw in a single campaign since 2008, his first year as a starter - while he also failed to post a single 300-yard passing game for the first time in his career.
It will be interesting to see how the Jets attempt to manipulate the cap and ultimately ensure Rodgers joins with his league-leading annual salary. Regardless, the acquisition of the Super Bowl XLV MVP will signal an exciting new era for the green half of New York.