Should the Jets Go All In on Aaron Rodgers
Here we go again folks.
I remember in the summer of 2008 when then Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre announced he was coming out of retirement and that the New York Jets were linked as a possible suitor, not believing my ears.
"Could it be? The New York Jets who have never really had a Hall of Fame type quarterback under center end up with one of the all time great's at the position? Would I really get to see one of my favorite out of market quarterbacks suddenly play on my team?"
Yes, those thoughts crossed my mind, and the mind of every Jets fan back in the sweltering heat of August 2008. Then one evening, BAM! I turned on NFL Network and there it was: in bold type on the bottom scroll the announcement was official, the Jets swung a deal and acquired Brett Favre for draft picks (who cares, right?) while shipping Chad Pennington out of town. (He would end up in Miami as we all know).
The excitement was palpable. It was also the year I ended up with season tickets. I couldn't believe my good fortune. From the first game in preseason against Washington to the home opener against New England a few weeks later, Jets fans couldn't believe their good fortune either.
Brett Favre was now a New York Jet.
And for a while things were looking up for the Jets with Favre. Gang Green was 8-3 in November, coming off of huge wins over Tennessee and New England. The Jets were in position to be a serious playoff team.
Then the bottom fell out. Favre got hurt, played through it and the Jets lost four of five to finish at 9-7 and out of the playoffs, losing in the last week of the season to ... Chad Pennington and the Dolphins.
So what did we learn from this now?
The Jets are again rumored to be a destination for a Packers legend, this time in Aaron Rodgers -- the man, ironically who replaced Favre in Green Bay.
Do the Jets go all in? It's tempting. Rodgers is a 4-time MVP, most recently winning back-to-back years in 2020 and 2021. He is a lock for the Hall of Fame and owns a Super Bowl title to boot. The Packers always have a chance with him aboard.
That said, Rodgers is coming off statistically his worst season, throwing for 3,695 yards -- his lowest yardage total since 2015; 26 touchdowns and 12 interceptions -- the most picks he has tossed in a full season since 2008.
To be fair Rodgers was hurt most of the season, battling a hand injury that hampered him at times. Not to mention the NFC North got stronger as the Vikings went 13-4 this year, and the Lions proved they are a definite playoff contender. The North is no longer a shoe-in for Green Bay.
Rodgers is also contemplating his own future. He admitted as much on the Pat McAfee show on Tuesday.
Much like Favre did in Green Bay, Rodgers likes to mull the future and takes his time in coming to a decision. Last year, he waited until deep into the spring to decide whether to return or force a trade to Denver. He eventually got the extension he wanted, even though star receiver DeVante Adams bolted for Las Vegas.
Now we are here again. According to Rodgers in his interview with McAfee, he's still mulling a decision and so are the Packers.
The Packers are due to pay Rodgers $60 million all guaranteed in March. They don't want to do that. There are also reports saying Green Bay would be willing to trade Rodgers, but out of the NFC only.
That is where the Jets enter. According to Peter King the Jets are a team willing to make a big splash, and Woody Johnson is reportedly want to get a big quarterback. At the same time the Jets are also saying all the "right things" about Zach Wilson that they want him to be the future.
Rodgers and Wilson are said to be close -- we'll see how that works out if they become teammates.
Then there is the cost. The Jets would have to part -- according to King -- with at least 2 first round picks, and would take on $48.3 million in salary. The Jets are already $2.7 million over the cap, and cuts are looming.
As pointed out by Jets XFactor, should the Jets acquire Rodgers post June 1, they would be on the hook for only $15 million in 2023 rather than $31 million now.
Still it's a lot to give up. The Jets aren't exactly a player away here.
They have a lot of holes to fill, namely on the offensive line, middle linebacker and safety. Quinnen Williams wants a new contract. His brother, dynamic linebacker Quincy Williams is a free agent and wants a new deal.
The Jets don't know whether Meckhi Becton will ever be the player they thought they drafted three years ago. If Becton is healthy, he will likely shift to right tackle. Alijah-Vera Tucker is coming off injury. Duane Brown is 38 and beaten up, and probably won't be back at left tackle. Center is also a question mark.
How does putting a 39-year old Rodgers behind this offensive line make sense right now? It doesn't.
Yet the fans don't seem to care about the salary cap, draft picks, and whether the Jets have the proper personnel to make it work.
They just want Aaron Rodgers in a Jets uniform.
Fact is the Jets would be better off solving their quarterback quandary by finding someone who can be here for the rest of the decade, not just one -- maybe two years -- like Rodgers.
Lamar Jackson is 26 and might be available if the Ravens can't agree to a deal with him. Derek Carr is in the prime of his career at age 32 and will be dealt by the Raiders. Either would be a stable addition to the Jets, and would spell the end of the Zach Wilson era.
The biggest gamble surrounding Rodgers in Green and White is this: everyone is on the hot seat. Should Rodgers falter with the Jets and they fail to win a playoff game, or fail to make the playoffs, it would mean Robert Saleh and Joe Douglas are almost assuredly fired.
Don't believe me? Ask Eric Mangini.
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