NEW YORK (AP) — After six weeks of waiting, Aaron Rodgers is leaving his storied career in Green Bay behind and the quarterback is moving to the Big Apple, where huge expectations await him.
The New York Jets have reached an agreement to acquire the four-time NFL MVP in a trade with the Packers, a person familiar with the negotiations said.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on Monday on condition of anonymity, as the teams had not yet made the trade official.
Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said at a predraft news conference that they had not finalized the deal, but should complete it before the draft begins Thursday.
“We expected it to be finalized very quickly, hopefully soon,” Gutekunst said. “We have agreed a lot of things, there are things yet to be determined.”
The Jets will receive Rodgers as well as the 15th overall pick and a fifth-round pick this year, according to the person with knowledge of the deal. In return, Green Bay will have the 13th overall pick, a second-round pick (42) and a sixth-round pick this year, as well as a conditional second-round pick in 2024 that could become a first-round pick if Rodgers plays at least 65% of the ballot. the plays with New York next season.
ESPN first reported the terms of the deal between the two teams.
Rodgers, 39, spent several days in February contemplating his future, isolating himself in Oregon. At the same time, fans and the press did not stop conjecturing about his next destination.
He reappeared and kept musing until he decided on March 10 that he wanted to keep playing — and he would play for the Jets.
The quarterback and the rest of the NFL had to wait while the Packers and Jets finally completed the trade.
“I made it clear that my intention was to play, and my intention was to play for the New York Jets,” Rodgers said while appearing on “The Pat McAfee Show” on YouTube and Sirius XM on March 15.
The Jets sent a contingent that included owner Woody Johnson, coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas to visit Rodgers at his Southern California residence in early March. Days later, Rodgers made the decision to continue his career as part of the Jets.
As the weeks passed, the negotiations seemed to bog down. Fans — and teams — began to wonder if the trade would go through.
“We’re looking forward to it,” Johnson told reporters at the league’s annual meeting on March 28. “We want it to happen. We are optimistic. But we have a plan, and we are determined to stick to it. I don’t think anyone is getting desperate right now.”
It took time, but the parties were finally able to reach an agreement on compensation. The Super Bowl champion moves to New York to displace Zach Wilson, the second overall pick in the 2021 draft who has failed to establish himself as a starter in his first two seasons.
New York went 7-10 last season, capping a six-game losing streak that stretched the NFL’s longest playoff miss, a franchise record, to 12 years.
