The New York Jets are all-in on Aaron Rodgers, but did trading for him just get more expensive?
These are uneasy times for New York Jets fans.
The anxieties of the fan base have been rising with each day the team’s quarterback situation remains unresolved.
Now, Derek Carr is no longer an option, leaving one possible answer on the table: the eccentric and unpredictable Aaron Rodgers.
As long as Carr was on the market, the Jets appeared to have leverage over the Packers in a possible Rodgers trade. After all, if Green Bay tried to hold them over a barrel, they could just pivot to Carr.
However, it appears that the Jets and Carr were mutually using each other: New York to try to pressure Rodgers into making a decision, and Carr to extract every last dollar from the Saints, the team that was reportedly his preference from the get-go.
Now that it’s Rodgers or bust, do the Packers suddenly have the upper hand on the Jets in a possible trade?
Not necessarily. On one hand, not having that pivot to Carr does narrow the Jets’ options. However, it doesn’t sound like the Packers would have any other trade partners for Rodgers besides the Jets, which evens out the playing field.
Furthermore, if Rodgers does want to come to the Jets (which is the only way they will acquire him, anyway), all he has to do is say the word, and the leverage falls back squarely into the Jets’ camp.
Of course, the Packers could refuse to trade Rodgers and leave him to retire, but that would cost them $24 million in dead cap with no return. Making such a move with no trade return would be cutting off their nose to spite their face.
General managers can be vindictive, but Brian Gutekunst has not shown himself to be fiscally irresponsible (except, perhaps, when signing Rodgers’s current deal). Retirement is squarely a leverage play for Rodgers, not Green Bay.
Ultimately, the Carr news hasn’t changed too much about a possible Rodgers trade. If it’s going to happen, it’ll be only if Rodgers wants it. If Rodgers wants to go to the Jets, the Packers lose leverage in a trade.
What has changed is how Jets fans feel about the situation. When reports start coming out about how some in the Jets’ building preferred Jimmy Garoppolo to Carr, that sounds like trying to shape the narrative for a situation in which Rodgers does not come to New York.
It’s a scary prospect for many fans who were all-in on the top two veteran quarterbacks.
These are the times that try Jets fans’ souls. Stay tuned for another episode of The QB Files.
I wanted Carr, I’ll accept Rodgers. If we fail to get Rodgers I’ll take anyone from Minshew to Jimmy G…all are better than the QB play we got last year.
I DO know why I’m a Jets fan: I have been since I was a kid, dad was, grandpa was. This decision is important, but it will not make me quit on the Green and White regardless of how it shakes out.
It seems ridiculous to me to prefer losing than winning with someone who you personally don’t like (no political parallels intended). In this day and age finding a team that wins and has all “high character” players is a near impossible proposition. This particular team does have a predominance of guys you can get behind. Not Rodgers, or any other singular player will change what JD and RS have built so far.
I thought the Jets lost all leverage with the Packers once Carr committed to the Saints. Thank you for making the valid argument that hope remains for the Jets. And thanks for talking me off the ledge.
Jimmy G, White, Wilson ? Or Maybe White, Dalton, Wilson ?
I don’t think leverage has changed much. The issue always was the cap hit in future years. I don’t see how anyone can build a team with a 42, 43 year old quarterback (who’s probably retired) taking up more than a quarter of your cap. The idea of two first round picks for that privilege never made any sense at all, and if Rodgers does want to be a Jet, I think that comes with Rodgers and the Packers agreeing to some sort of new contract by which Green Bay pays out a bunch now and that cuts that cap hit in half at least.
That gets this into the realm where maybe the Jets can budget for extending some of their 2022 rookies, and into the realm where you’re giving fair market value for a 40 year old quarterback that, best case, might be the 5th best quarterback in the AFC in 2023, and retired in 2024.
So no, I don’t think Green Bay has any leverage. It sucks about Carr, but today’s plan B should not be Aaron Rodgers.
Just wanted to make sure so I checked every Super Bowel and yes! the one QB to win the supe at 40 or over is Tom Brady…wo won 7 and the late in life Supe win was with a loaded Bucs team.
I don’t want Rodgers and all that comes with him. He’s old done and disinterested.
I’d rather roll with a cheaper Jimmy G and even White rather than Rodgers.
If it came to it, I’d be surprised if Jimmy came here. I do however think Mike White is watching all this with quite a bit of interest.
I would rather have no one than Rodgers. The scary thing about the Carr signing is it means the Jets might Pivot to Rodgers. I am not a fan of Jimmy G but would rather have him a 100 times over Rodgers. I would love Geno. I would even prefer Mike White over Rodgers. For me it is how you play the game not whether you win or lose and winning with people with bad character who treat others poorly like Rodgers or Adam Gase is not winning but worse than losing.
That being said it looks like Rodgers will be our guy so I guess I will need to learn to root for him. I just can’t see myself being able to stomach sitting through any of his press conferences.It will be a very ugly few years being a Jets fan. Sort of like how we made it through the Mangini and Gase eras hoping and waiting for them to get fired.
I never wanted my Nets to sign KD and Kyrie because I knew the media circus would become more important than the basketball. I feel the same about Rodgers.
Rodgers comes here I’m done. I don’t know how or why I became a Jets fan.
I was a diehard Giants fan from age 10 (1969) till mid 80s. I became a Montana fan and I think that let me ease out of being a Giants fan.
Well boy was that stupid. But it was emotion. The Giants were boring after LT. run run inc pass then punt.
Missed two Super Bowels. But then again, somehow the Jets were in my blood.
After the idiocy in letting Carr go elsewhere it feels more like an infection.
Woody…go F yourself