Jets getting a taste of the Aaron Rodgers Show before he even commits

Henry McKenna

AFC East Reporter

Only Aaron Rodgers.

The Green Bay Packers quarterback is doing what he always does. Rodgers has always done things his way. And he’s not stopping now in the final years of his NFL career.

So as the Packers seemingly push him out the door in Green Bay (with team CEO Mark Murphy saying Rodgers will only return “if things don’t work out the way we want”), the New York Jets have done everything they can to make Rodgers feel welcome. 

The team’s top executives flew to see Rodgers and make their pitch. They began putting together a trade package in the event Rodgers approved the trade. And then New York sat on its hands and committed to Rodgers. So while the Jets wait for Rodgers to make up his mind, the rest of the NFL has flurried through transactions. 

The quarterback carousel has continued to spin. Derek Carr is a Saint. Jimmy Garoppolo will be a Raider. Geno Smith is a Seahawk. Daniel Jones is a Giant. Even Sam Freaking Darnold has a team: the 49ers.

But Rodgers? Technically, he’s a Packer. He’s in limbo. And he’s holding the Jets there, too.

Just about everyone thought Rodgers would have made a decision by now. After all, he took time to think in his darkness retreat. He spoke to the Jets a week ago. And he has 60 million reasons to keep playing in 2023. I thought he would make his decision prior to noon ET on Monday. That’s when the free agency period essentially opened. The Jets could have made their personnel decisions around Rodgers. But New York has been unable to make much in the way of decisions, because — of course — Rodgers has yet to announce his.

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He’s holding them frozen at the moment in the NFL season when teams change the most: the opening days of free agency. It’s simply unreasonable. At any moment, Rodgers could decide to retire. He could coax another team into the hunt to acquire him. Rodgers could decide, simply, not to go to New York. And the Jets would find themselves with Zach Wilson as their only quarterback now that Mike White has left for the Dolphins. So Rodgers has all the power. And he’s exerting it over the Jets.

Rodgers knows he’s a valuable entity in the NFL. So he flexes his will upon his team. But in this case, he can no longer flex on the Packers. He’s instead working the Jets — who aren’t even his team.

Rodgers has not officially committed to New York. But he has given them a to-do list, per ESPN’s Dianna Russini. He wants them to sign receivers Odell Beckham Jr., Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb and tight end Marcedes Lewis. That’s a massive ask. 

The salary-cap burden would be enormous, given Rodgers’ already-cumbersome contract. It’s also not particularly logical to add four pass-catchers to a roster that already includes Garrett Wilson, Elijah Moore, Corey Davis, Tyler Conklin and C.J. Uzomah — a group of players (albeit flawed) who cost the Jets a big chunk of change and draft capital to assemble.

But what else is New York to do at this point? 

The Jets decided to commit to Circus Ring Leader Aaron Rodgers. And while we couldn’t guess what he would do, we could expect the unexpected.

The Jets are getting a heaping serving of Rodgers’ medicine before even adding him to the team. And it’s not like you should pity New York. Again, the organization should have known what it signed up for. Plus, the Jets are not in a truly terrible spot. Not yet, at least.

If the Rodgers situation falls apart, the Jets can still pursue Lamar Jackson, who would be an outstanding consolation prize — but a costly one. New York would have to offer a contract to Jackson, currently on the non-exclusive franchise tag, that the Ravens would not match. The Jets would also have to send the Ravens two first-round picks. 

So what deal can New York offer that Baltimore won’t? Probably something in the range of four years and $200 million — with all of it guaranteed. It’s a massive long-term commitment, different than the Rodgers situation, which would require a larger annual sum of cash but for only one or two years. Then there are the differing quarterback styles — Jackson is dual-threat QB while Rodgers is a pocket quarterback. 

Jackson’s arrival would dictate a schematic change in plays for New York. So it’s not an easy decision. But it might be the Jets’ only decision if Rodgers flakes out. And you truly cannot rule that out.

Right now, the Jets are doing what they can to appease the Packers quarterback. They’re all-in on Rodgers, in part because they’re afraid of what he might do next. It’s not that different from what he did to Green Bay for so many years.

So, New York, welcome to the Aaron Rodgers Show. It technically hasn’t even started. 

Are you glad you paid for the ticket?

Prior to joining FOX Sports as the AFC East reporter, Henry McKenna spent seven years covering the Patriots for USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Boston Globe Media. Follow him on Twitter at @McKennAnalysis.

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