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For the second time in 15 years, the Green Bay Packers are trading an aging icon to the New York Jets.
The Packers agreed Monday to deal quarterback Aaron Rodgers and their 2023 first round pick (No. 15 overall) and a 2023 fifth-round pick (No. 170) to the Jets for New York's 2023 first-round pick (No. 13 overall), a 2023 second round pick (No. 42), a 2023 sixth-round pick (No. 207) and a conditional 2024 second-round pick that becomes a first if Rodgers plays 65% of the plays this season.
For the Packers, it marks the end of an era. Rodgers, 39, a four-time NFL MVP, led them to 11 playoff appearances and one Super Bowl championship in 15 years as the starting quarterback. Unlike Favre, who wanted to return to the Packers after he unretired, Rodgers apparently wanted out even after he said last summer that he would definitely finish his career with the Packers.
Only a year ago, Rodgers seemed destined to finish his career in Green Bay. After contemplating retirement following the 2021 season, he signed a three-year, $150 million contract extension in March 2022.
Instead, the Jets will inherit the remainder of his contract, which includes $59.465 million guaranteed in salary and bonus this season. Most of it is made up of a $58.3 million bonus that is due no later than Week 1 of this season.
The Packers now must absorb $40.3 million in dead money on their salary cap. Because his bonus money is pro-rated, Rodgers won't cripple the Jets' cap. He will count $15.8 million in 2023 and $32.5 million in 2024, cap-friendly for a player of his stature.
Rodgers is coming off one of his worst seasons. He had almost as many interceptions (12) as he did in the previous three seasons combined (13). After back-to-back MVP seasons, Rodgers threw for the fewest yards (3,695) in any season in which he played at least 15 games. He did not have a single 300-yard passing game. He had never before had a season with fewer than three 300-plus yard games.
Rodgers leaves Green Bay as the Packers' franchise leader in touchdown passes (475), completion percentage (65.3) and passer rating (103.6) and ranks second behind only Favre in passing yards (59,055) and completions (5,001).
His 475 touchdown passes rank fifth in NFL history, and he has the best touchdown-to-interception ratio (475-105) in league history. He made 10 Pro Bowls and four times was selected as the first-team All-Pro quarterback (2011, 2014, 2020 and 2021 -- all of his MVP seasons).
The Packers agreed Monday to deal quarterback Aaron Rodgers and their 2023 first round pick (No. 15 overall) and a 2023 fifth-round pick (No. 170) to the Jets for New York's 2023 first-round pick (No. 13 overall), a 2023 second round pick (No. 42), a 2023 sixth-round pick (No. 207) and a conditional 2024 second-round pick that becomes a first if Rodgers plays 65% of the plays this season.
For the Packers, it marks the end of an era. Rodgers, 39, a four-time NFL MVP, led them to 11 playoff appearances and one Super Bowl championship in 15 years as the starting quarterback. Unlike Favre, who wanted to return to the Packers after he unretired, Rodgers apparently wanted out even after he said last summer that he would definitely finish his career with the Packers.
Only a year ago, Rodgers seemed destined to finish his career in Green Bay. After contemplating retirement following the 2021 season, he signed a three-year, $150 million contract extension in March 2022.
Instead, the Jets will inherit the remainder of his contract, which includes $59.465 million guaranteed in salary and bonus this season. Most of it is made up of a $58.3 million bonus that is due no later than Week 1 of this season.
The Packers now must absorb $40.3 million in dead money on their salary cap. Because his bonus money is pro-rated, Rodgers won't cripple the Jets' cap. He will count $15.8 million in 2023 and $32.5 million in 2024, cap-friendly for a player of his stature.
Rodgers is coming off one of his worst seasons. He had almost as many interceptions (12) as he did in the previous three seasons combined (13). After back-to-back MVP seasons, Rodgers threw for the fewest yards (3,695) in any season in which he played at least 15 games. He did not have a single 300-yard passing game. He had never before had a season with fewer than three 300-plus yard games.
Rodgers leaves Green Bay as the Packers' franchise leader in touchdown passes (475), completion percentage (65.3) and passer rating (103.6) and ranks second behind only Favre in passing yards (59,055) and completions (5,001).
His 475 touchdown passes rank fifth in NFL history, and he has the best touchdown-to-interception ratio (475-105) in league history. He made 10 Pro Bowls and four times was selected as the first-team All-Pro quarterback (2011, 2014, 2020 and 2021 -- all of his MVP seasons).