By Zach Stremer
It was the story heard round the world. Well, in Wisconsin, at least. Monday, the 25th of April, it was announced Aaron Rodgers would be leaving the Green Bay Packers and moving to New York to play for the Jets. Rodgers, who had been with Green Bay for nearly two decades is looking to continue his career in a new setting, following some recent faltering seasons with the Packers. Last year he had some career worsts, or at least second-worsts, as Rodgers threw twelve interceptions and only scored 26 touchdowns – lows since 2008 and 2013, respectively.
What did the Jets get? Some are saying not much. On paper, the Packers now have the 13th, 42nd, and 207th picks in the 2023 NFL draft, while the Jets are left with Rodgers, and the 15th and 170th picks. Fans are divided on the trade. Mike Florio of Yahoo! Sports thinks it’s a raw deal, calling the settlement “A deal that wouldn’t have even qualified for a set of steak knives in Glengarry Glen Ross.” Matt Verderame of Sports Illustrated sits on the same side of the fence, writing “New York is giving up significant assets, including at least one top-50 pick and likely another in 2024.” Given Rodgers’ recent seasons, the consensus is that the Jets gave up far too much for Rodgers, as the now 39-year-old quarterback could be liable to lose to new talent and tougher competition.
Outside of the trade details, everything else is speculation. Rodger’s new contract, how much he’ll be paid, and what that all entails is still unknown to the public. If Rodger’s usual announcement-to-action timeline is to be repeated, we should find out this information in about a month following an exhaustive news cycle. Now, all eyes in Green Bay are on QB Jordan Love, and what he’ll be capable of in the next season.
Zach Stremer is a senior at UW Oshkosh majoring in Radio TV Film and is news director at Titan TV.
