It’s nearly impossible to find a perfect precedent for an Aaron Rodgers trade. He is a future Hall of Famer but is almost 40 years old. He would give the New York Jets a real shot to win the Super Bowl, but he is owed $59.5 million in cash this season as part of the extension the Green Bay Packers gave him last year. That’s why, more than two weeks after Rodgers communicated to all parties that he wants to go to the Jets, a deal hasn’t been finalized.
But one past trade bears several similarities, and it has been brought up in trade talks, according to ESPN’s reporter Rich Cimini, who covers the Jets. That’s the trade that sent Joe Montana from the San Francisco 49ers to the Kansas City Chiefs in 1993.
Let’s start with the disclaimers, though, because the two situations are not identical. Rodgers’ contract is one big issue that Cimini mentioned. He’ll get almost $60 million in cash in 2023, which is around 26% of the current salary cap. The cap hit is much lower, of course. It’s less than $16 million. But the Jets would have to handle it in the near future.
Montana signed a three-year, $10 million contract with the Chiefs right after the trade when there wasn’t a salary cap in the league. The limit was established in 1994, though, and Montana’s yearly average was around 10% of the cap, which would be $22.48 million in 2023. At that time, obviously, there wasn’t such a firm perception of how valuable quarterbacks were, but Montana was a huge star.
On the other hand, the 49ers legend had sustained a serious elbow injury. In his last two seasons in San Francisco, Montana didn’t start any games and appeared in one, a meaningless game in 1992. It was enough to show he was healthy but far from guaranteed that he would support a full season. Rodgers was an MVP a season ago. Despite a decrease in performance in 2022, he was still a good NFL starter despite thumb and rib injuries and the lack of offensive weapons.
Still, there are meaningful similarities.
The first is an obvious one: Both quarterbacks are surefire Hall of Famers. Montana was considered the greatest QB of all time in the early ‘90s, and Rodgers is in the conversation for the most talented passer ever.
Age is also a coincidental factor. Montana was 37 when he started for the Chiefs for the first time. Aaron Rodgers is a little bit older at 39. However, he is arguably in better shape considering how medicine and conditioning have evolved in the last three decades.
Another similarity was the limited market. Even though both were historic quarterbacks, their age and circumstances gave teams pause.
In Montana’s case, only the Phoenix Cardinals and the Chiefs were interested. At the time, the Cardinals were members of the NFC East and therefore not a 49ers divisional rival and were willing to give up a first-round pick. But Montana’s preferred destination, the Chiefs, low-balled the 49ers and didn’t want to trade more than a third-rounder. Similarly, the Jets think Rodgers is their best (and probably only) chance to reach the Super Bowl, but they don’t want to package pick No. 13 to acquire the veteran.
By the time of the trade, the Niners’ relationship with Montana wasn’t great. Likewise, Rodgers has had issues with the Packers’ front office since they drafted Jordan Love in 2020. By the way, Love brings another commonality to the conversation. While he’s not a rookie, he’s a young option with whom the Packers feel comfortable. The 49ers had Steve Young. The major difference was that Young had already had plenty of experience as an NFL starter because of Montana’s injuries. He had also had two forgettable seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
In the end, the 49ers traded Montana, backup safety Dave Whitmore, and a third-round pick for Kansas City’s first-round pick. That value is equivalent to the 25th-overall pick, according to the Jimmy Johnson trade chart. After the deal, another similarity might apply: the ability to attract free agents. In 1993, the Chiefs signed Marcus Allen in the first year of NFL free agency. Similarly, Allen Lazard has already signed with the Jets because of Rodgers, and Odell Beckham may follow suit.
In 1993, the 49ers traded down and picked defensive tackle Dana Stubblefield, who ended up being an All-Pro, defensive player of the year, and a Super Bowl champion. The Chiefs made the playoffs in the two years with Montana as their starting QB, which included a Pro Bowl year and an AFC Championship game appearance in 1993.
With Joe Montana, the 49ers and the Chiefs were able to find a common ground, and both teams were happy with the outcome. The biggest topic of this offseason is whether or not the Packers and the Jets can strike the same balance.
