After 18 years with the Green Bay Packers, quarterback Aaron Rodgers “intends” to play for the New York Jets.
Neither party has been shy about discussing the fact that both teams are working on a deal to send the four-time MVP to New York, but compensation hasn’t been agreed upon yet. And while Rodgers intends to play for the Jets, they might not be the only team interested in the situation. FS1’s Craig Carton reported on Tuesday that the San Francisco 49ers have had conversations with the Packers about Rodgers, including a potential compensation offer.
The longer this deal takes, and the more the Jets demand from the Packers, the more likely another team could try to jump in at the last minute to steal Rodgers’ services. Are these reports legitimate? Could Rodgers end up with a team other than the Packers or Jets? Would he even agree to it?
We’ve heard various offer packages between the Jets and Packers. While most of the potential offers we’ve heard from NFL insiders look mostly acceptable, the big stickler apparently is that New York wants some sort of insurance if Rodgers only plays one season. Sources say the Jets want a conditional 2025 pick from Green Bay if Rodgers retires after the 2023 season.
Rodgers has been famously mercurial the last few years, and he claimed at one point this season he was 90% leaning toward retirement. It makes sense that the Jets are a little wary about their investment.
But in most cases, when you gamble, you don’t get a fallback option. If I put all of my money on red on the roulette table, I don’t get insurance if it doesn’t hit. The Jets believe that they have a Super Bowl-contending roster that just needs a good quarterback to get there. Four-time MVPs don’t grow on trees (there have only been two in NFL history) and they are even more rarely available. The Jets are gambling that Rodgers can get them a Super Bowl in a short window. But the Packers shouldn’t have to make them feel better about that gamble.
The longer these talks take, the closer we get to the NFL draft. If the Jets think they can get insurance or lowball the Packers in some way, another team might throw out a better deal. Deadlines spur action, and the Packers might not care about where Rodgers intents to play if they get a better offer.
The 49ers would be an interesting case.
San Francisco has an elite roster helmed by one of the league’s best offensive minds. For the most part, they’ve been a consistently good team. Yet Kyle Shanahan has yet to work with a truly needle-moving quarterback.
The team invested heavily in Trey Lance, but recency bias indicates Mr. Irrelevant Brock Purdy will be their preferred Week 1 starter. However, Lance and Purdy are coming off of major injuries and remain unproven. Sam Darnold is on the roster, but he’s a backup.
We know the Niners have considered adding a veteran quarterback, as rumors surrounding San Francisco and Kirk Cousins are still circulating.
Rodgers also has his own history with San Francisco. It’s the team he grew up rooting for until they passed on him for Alex Smith in 2005. Rodgers famously said that the 49ers would be sorry for not picking him, and the relationship between him and the team has been complicated. Rodgers won a Super Bowl with the Packers; the 49ers have gone to multiple Super Bowls while Rodgers has been in Green Bay, but with zero wins. But the Niners have been the bane of Green Bay’s existence in the postseason. The Packers have lost to the 49ers in the playoffs a whopping four times, with two of those losses coming in the Matt LaFleur era. Rodgers joining the 49ers could mean both parties have a true chance to compete for a Super Bowl.
While Rodgers has said he wants to play for the Jets, a top-contending NFC team from his home state might not be disagreeable.
According to Carton, San Francisco’s package could include multiple 2023 third-round picks and a 2024 first-round pick. Thanks to trading up for Lance and trading for Christian McCaffrey last season, the 49ers don’t have any first- or second-round picks this year. But that 2024 first-rounder could be very appealing. Carton also adds that the Jets were unaware of this potential offer.
The Packers likely don’t want to send Rodgers to an NFC contender, especially one that historically ruined their lives. But if a deal isn’t made with the Jets by the time the draft approaches, they might care more about the compensation package than the trade partner. The 49ers also have various skill-position players they could offer Green Bay in a potential swap to help make the deal more appealing and clear cap space on their end.
These leaks could very well be a smokescreen leaked by the Packers to get a favorable deal done with the Jets, but it makes sense for other teams to monitor the situation and make an offer. Rodgers’ 2022 season was rough by his standards, but he’s still better than most quarterbacks in the league. While the Packers want to respect Rodgers’ wishes, they aren’t under any obligation to do the Jets any favors. If the 49ers deal is legitimate, Green Bay has to be at least considering it.
