The New York Jets believe they have all the right pieces in place to finally compete for Super Bowl this year. Of course, they thought the same thing last year after the acquired four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers via trade with Green Bay Packers. Unfortunately, the future Hall of Famer tore his Achilles four snaps into the 2023 regular season and the Jets finished 7-10 for the second year in a row.
Despite the disappointment of the 2023 season, hopes are high in New York once again as Rodgers and the new offensive weapons they acquired for him prepare for their attempt to bring the Jets back to the postseason for the first time since 2010.
Of course, the key to all of their potential success lies with their quarterback, whom they pulled out all the stops to lure to New York.
Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers Had Many Disagreements
The Packers and Rodgers had always had a good relationship. He rose to elite levels of play in Green Bay, winning Super Bowl XLV and two NFL MVP Awards in his first 12 seasons as their starting quarterback. The Packers reciprocated his stellar play with the richest contracts in team history.
But then came the 2019 season, the first season under head coach Matt LaFleur. That year, Rodgers completed 62.0% of his passes for 4,002 yards, 26 touchdowns, two interceptions, and a 95.7 passer rating.
While not terrible numbers, they certainly were not what people had come to expect from Rodgers. They also marked the third consecutive season that saw his performance dip.
Even though they had no immediate need for a new quarterback, the Packers knew that a time was coming, and soon, when they would no longer have Rodgers under center. For that reason, they traded up in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft to select Jordan Love.
That decision marked the beginning of the end of Rodgers’ tenure in Green Bay and of his positive relationship with the organization. While he was an exemplary teammate and mentor to his heir apparent, Rodgers’ dealings with the front office soured.
Of course, the future Hall of Famer went on to win the NFL MVP Award in each of the next two seasons, using his perceived slight by the front office as extra motivation.
The success that the Packers and Rodgers experienced together as a team resulted in two consecutive NFC Championship Game appearances and the richest contract for a quarterback in NFL history (Rodgers signed a three-year $150 million deal before the 2022 season).
But neither success nor money fixed the relationship. Rodgers wanted general manager Brian Gutekunst fired, and the Packers did not give in to that demand.
When Rodgers ignored Gutekunst’s phone calls after their disappointing 8-9 finish in 2022, the team decided it was time to move on.
The New York Jets Wanted to Convince Aaron Rodgers to Choose Them Before Trade from the Green Bay Packers
When the Packers announced that they were making Rodgers available via trade, there were no shortage of teams interested in the future Hall of Famer. Indeed, plenty of quarterback-needy teams contacted Green Bay to check in on the asking price.
But the Packers also wanted to do right by Rodgers. In other words, they wanted to trade him to a team that he wanted to play for. And so, the courting began.
The Jets, of course, were one of those teams that were very interested in the four-time NFL MVP. In an effort to convince him to come and play with them, they started building their roster and coaching staff around him, even though they had not acquired him yet.
Nathaniel Hackett, who had previously been Rodgers’ offensive coordinator with the Packers, was hired to the same role on Robert Saleh’s coaching staff. They also went out and signed free agent wide receiver Allen Lazard, a player Rodgers wanted to keep playing with.
Aaron Rodgers Got a Royal Gift from New York Jets Owner Woody Johnson
Of course, the Jets also flew out to Rodgers’ California home on a recruiting visit. Owner Woody Johnson made the trek with a special gift for the quarterback.
As many are aware, there is a new biography of Rodgers being released this month called “Out of Darkness: The Mystery of Aaron Rodgers” by Ian O’Connor. In this book, Rodgers reveals that Johnson, the former United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom under former President Donald Trump, brought him a unique gift, “He gave me some honey from the queen’s garden.”
Rodgers is a well-known history buff and honey from Queen Elizabeth II’s garden was truly a great gift for him.
It certainly left him impressed and helped do the job.
Not long after the visit, Rodgers informed the Packers he wanted to be traded to the Jets. Eventually, the two sides agreed that New York would swap first round picks in the 2023 NFL Draft with Green Bay, give them their second-round pick that year, and send a conditional second-round pick in 2024.
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