Sounds Like A New Team Is About To Land Aaron Rodgers

Aaron Rodgers is the last remaining big domino in the quarterback market yet to fall. That is hardly surprising. The Green Bay Packers legend has a history of delaying his big decisions, ramping up the tension. However, one thing has been pretty clear from the start of this off-season. The Packers are ready to move on. Rodgers is 40 years old and has become too much of a headache to deal with. They also want to move on to Jordan Love before his rookie contract completely expires. They have to know if he can be their future.

That leaves Rodgers with two likely courses of action. Either he retires or accepts a trade to a new team. Both feel equally plausible. Rodgers had one of his worst seasons in 2022, capped by an ugly performance in the finale against Detroit. People have wondered whether he’s lost his edge. Still, that hasn’t stopped teams from courting his services. One, more than any other, appears well-positioned to get a deal done. According to Dianna Russini of ESPN, the New York Jets feel confident they can lure Rodgers east after a successful meeting in California.

In the wake of an extensive in-person meeting between Aaron Rodgers & New York Jets brass, including owner Woody Johnson, there's optimism in the Jets’ organization that they are on the brink of landing the future Hall of Fame QB, sources close to the situation tell ESPN.

— Dianna Russini (@diannaESPN) March 9, 2023

While optimism existed before the California meeting, Woody Johnson felt it was important to meet in person, sources said. Johnson left the meeting excited and satisfied about the potential match.

— Dianna Russini (@diannaESPN) March 9, 2023

As the Jets internally are working under an optimism that this will happen, the Jets and the Packers remain engaged in conversations about compensation and contract, sources said. Those conversation already started before the meeting.

— Dianna Russini (@diannaESPN) March 9, 2023

Aaron Rodgers’ later career is nothing short of remarkable.

It isn’t only because of his individual brilliance at times. What stands out is how eerily similar it’s been to his predecessor Brett Favre. After winning a Super Bowl at age 27, everybody felt Favre was destined for several championships. A little over a decade later, after flirting with retirement multiple times, the Packers traded Favre to the Jets in 2008. The last pass he threw was an interception in the NFC championship. Rodgers won a Super Bowl at age 27, spent a decade filling up the record books, and won MVPs but failed to win a second ring. His last pass of the 2022 season was an interception to end Green Bay’s playoff hopes.

Now he is on the cusp of going to the Jets in a trade. The symmetry is nothing short of breathtaking. Aaron Rodgers vowed he would never live in Favre’s shadow. Now the man is following the exact same blueprint in ending his career. New York believes he has enough left in the tank to give them a chance at the Super Bowl next season. Their roster is ready to win. All they need is a quarterback. They even have Nathaniel Hackett as their new offensive coordinator. Rodgers is a big admirer of him. The end of an era is at hand.