Four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers has finally sealed a trade to the New York Jets which includes a hidden clause, ending his 18-year stay at the Green Bay Packers, where he won his one and only Super Bowl to date.
The 39-year-old quarterback stated his intention to join the Jets last month on The Pat McAfee Show. However, as Rodgers wasn’t a free agent, terms had to be thrashed out between the two franchises, which proved to be a difficult task until Monday when a deal was finally struck.
Rodgers is heading to the Big Apple to play for the Jets, with the Packers getting a 13th overall pick, a 2023 second-round pick at No43 and a 207th sixth-round pick. But Rodgers’ trade also comes with a hidden clause depending on whether he plays 65% of the plays.
Should Rodgers hit the clause, a conditional second round pick becomes a first in 2024. The Jets, meanwhile, have landed their top target, who they hope can fire them to their first Super Bowl win since the late 60s, as well as the 15th overall pick and a fifth-round selection at No70.
The Packers appear to be ready to hand Jordan Love the opportunity to fill the large shoes left by Rodgers. However, the smoothness of the re-build post-Rodgers is unknown, according to star left tackle David Bakhtiari.
“We're moving on from a Hall of Fame quarterback," Bakhtiari said on Mike Silver's "Open Mike" podcast. “I literally today talked to Jordan (Love) about this. I'm like, 'The Packers rebuilt from Brett Favre to Aaron Rodgers.' What are we going to say? It's not a rebuild? Like, that is what that is.
“And that's totally fine. I'm not saying that we're going to be bad. I'm not saying we're going to be good. I don't know and that's the beauty. No one really knows how good they are. We start the season, everyone is batting 1.000. No one has any losses. No one has any wins. And let the season play out however it may be."
Love is in his third year as a pro with ten games of NFL experience under his belt and a tough start to life as a starter wouldn’t be uncharacteristic, with Rodgers suffering the same when he started out at the Packers before winning the Super Bowl two years later.
“His [Rodgers’] first year what did he go, like 6-10, I want to say," Bakhtiari added. “There's still a transition period in that. Like, you have to build your team."
