The No. 1 goal for the New York Jets this offseason is finding an answer at the quarterback position. The team is ready to move on from Zach Wilson, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, as he was benched twice during the 2022 season.
There are no plans to move Wilson currently, but he looks ticketed for the backup job this upcoming season. The question remains, however, who will be the team’s starter in 2023?
Many people thought it would be Derek Carr, but he has opted to sign a deal with the New Orleans Saints. Lamar Jackson and Jimmy Garoppolo are two more free agents to keep an eye on, but the Jets look ready to scour the trade market. Their target for that route? Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers.
New York has been connected to Rodgers since it was reported that he could be on the move this offseason. This is a similar way to how things played out in 2008 when the Jets acquired another Hall of Fame quarterback from the Packers nearing the end of their career with Brett Favre.
The pursuit of Rodgers is getting real as the Jets are sending team officials to Green Bay to meet with him in person. The update via PFF on Twitter was first reported by Dan Graziano of ESPN.
Players on the Jets have moved swiftly to recruit Rodgers to the team. Reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year Sauce Gardner promised him that he won’t intercept him during practice and would burn the cheesehead that he has. Breece Hall also tweeted about the possibility of Rodgers joining Gang Green.
Adding Rodgers to their team would make the Jets legitimate Super Bowl contenders. They have a championship-caliber defense in place and the weapons offensively to produce some big numbers. If they can shore up the offensive line, New York would be in business.
The only real hold-up would be Rodgers’ contract. The Jets would have to shuffle some money around to fit him under the salary cap but those kinds of hoops are worth jumping through for a future Hall of Famer.
It has been reported that it will cost potentially two first-round picks to acquire Rodgers from the Packers. While certainly steep, Jets’ owner Woody Johnson has made it clear he is willing to pay whatever the price for an upgrade at quarterback.
With Green Bay having little to no leverage, the price may end up being a little lower. Alas, regardless of what the asking price is, Johnson is willing to meet it.
