Aaron Rodgers wants to play for the New York Jets, he told the Green Bay Packers, who then told the four-time MVP they want him to deviate from the club he has played for the past 18 seasons.
Rodgers, 39, revealed the bombshell on Pat McAfee’s podcast on Wednesday after weeks of rumors surrounding his imminent move to the Jets.
“My intention is to play for the New York Jets,” Rodgers told McAfee.
New York and Green Bay have yet to work out a trade that satisfies both teams, but for now, Rodgers’ future with the Packers appears to be over, while his tenure with the Jets is likely to begin soon.
As for his Green Bay legacy, Rodgers told McAfee that he was “the best player in franchise history.”
Aaron Rodgers spoke about his immediate future on former NFL player Pat McAfee’s podcast, which is hosted by former Packers teammate AJ Hawk (right).
The Jets social media staff were clearly listening to Rodgers’ interview on the Pat McAfee show
Rodgers spoke to McAfee for the first time since his four-day retreat into obscurity to consider his NFL future.
The Rodger-Jets speculation has been seeping away for weeks, and has only intensified since former Las Vegas Raiders quarterback David Carr signed a four-year, $150 million deal with the New Orleans Saints earlier this month.
Without Carr as an option, the Jets seemingly turned their full attention to the four-time MVP.
New York recently sent a contingent to California to meet with Rodgers, including owner Woody Johnson, head coach Robert Saleh, general manager Joe Douglas and newly hired offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett — a close friend and former associate of the four-volume MVP.
After the meeting, ESPN reported that Johnson was “excited” at the possibility of adding Rodgers, and much of the team staff soon followed suit.
Jets owner Woody Johnson (right), general manager Joe Douglas (left), head coach Robert Saleh and offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett flew to California to meet with Rodgers
Robert Saleh (pictured) could switch from Zach Wilson to Aaron Rodgers under center
Many Jets players turned to Rodgers on social media to convince him to come to New York, the most notable of which was star cornerback Ahmad ‘Sauce’ Gardner.
Next, New York restructured the contracts of left guard Laken Tomlinson, cornerback DJ Reed and tight end Tyler Conklin, saving about $20 million in cap space, given Rodgers’ existing contract and other potential signings that the Jets may have planned is a necessity.
Rodgers has $108.8 million left on his current contract, which runs through 2026, though that season and 2025 are considered “dummy” years that are on the books for salary cap purposes only. His deal is fully guaranteed this season for $59.5 million, most of which will come in the form of a bonus before the start of the regular season, according to ESPN.
But the Jets wouldn’t necessarily be hurting for Cap’s spot if they took it, since Rodger’s bonus was prorated over the last three years of the deal. Overall, he would count $15.8 million toward his team’s salary cap in 2023 and $32.5 million in 2024, according to ESPN.
Nathaniel Hackett (left), the Jets’ new offensive coordinator, previously worked with Rodgers in Green Bay
The Packers, meanwhile, would still carry $40.3 million of Rodgers’ 2023 salary on their books if he were traded. That’s a whopping 18 percent of the NFL’s $224.8 million salary cap for this year.
Aside from Rodgers, the Jets appear to be making room for some of his favorite teammates as well.
On Tuesday, ESPN reported that Rodgers gave the Jets a list of four pass catchers he’d like to see in New York: wide receivers Randall Cobb, Allen Lazard and Odell Beckham Jr., and tight end Marcedes Lewis.
Now, multiple outlets are reporting an upcoming deal between Lazard, a former Packers teammate of Rodgers, and the Jets, who have agreed to award the 27-year-old receiver $44 million over the next four years with $22 million pay.
Multiple outlets are reporting an upcoming deal between Allen Lazard (pictured), a former Packers teammate of Rodgers, and the Jets, who have agreed to give the 27-year-old recipient $44 million over the next four years with a $22 million guarantee to pay
The Jets are coming off a 7-10 season in which they had fifth-place defense and offensive and defensive rookie of the year titles in receivers Garrett Wilson and Gardner.
The biggest areas of concern for Saleh’s team were along the offensive line and at quarterback, where Zach Wilson ranked 34th in the NFL with a dismal 72.8 quarterback rating.
Wilson probably won’t go anywhere, but will instead get a chance to learn in the event of a trade under Rodgers.
And if there’s a deal for Rodgers, the Jets could have their first steady presence under center since Chad Pennington or even Ken O’Brien.
It’s unlikely Rodgers would have a long tenure in New York after 18 NFL seasons, but for a team notoriously struggling to find quarterbacks, he represents the Jets’ best shot at getting back in the game for the first time since 1969 return to the Super Bowl.
In February, Rodgers spent four days at Sky Cave Retreats in Ashland, Oregon in a 300-square-foot, semi-subterranean cabin where he was expected to meditate and reflect on himself in the dark.
After emerging from his retreat, Rodgers, who has previously spoken out about spirituality and has been open about his use of ayahuasca, admitted that the ordeal has proved harsh at times as he struggles with “insecurities and fear.”
“I really had to sit down with those and get to the root of that and go back to childhood or college or the early days of the NFL and work through those moments,” Rodgers told the Aubrey Marcus Podcast on March 1.
“After five, six hours I found a really nice sweetness and comfort with who I was sitting with that day and that’s what retirement would be like and what would best nourish my soul,” he said.
“A beautiful ending, but also a lot of difficult reflections on that uncertainty and anxiety about what happens when you turn off your career.”
He was believed to have used part of his time at the retreat to consider his future in the NFL. Rodgers told Marcus that ultimately his decision would come from his love of the game and not any other motives.
“My life and happiness is directly related to how I feel about football and it has given me so much peace of mind about how I feel about the decision,” Rodgers said.
“I ended these two days with deep love, admiration and blessings in a secluded life where I met all my needs and spent time with the people I loved. And also go back and play. I don’t play out of spite or to prove anything to anyone or for the money, I play because I fell in love with this game when I was 6 years old. And I’m happy with my boys and my people when I’m out there.