New York Jets general manager Joe Douglas has revealed one of the final things agreed in order to finally acquire Aaron Rodgers.
The iconic quarterback stated his desire to leave the Green Bay Packers in the offseason for a stint in the Big Apple. His wish was granted as news of the blockbuster deal emerged on Monday, which included a 13th overall draft selection, a 2nd rounder and 1st round pick swap this year and a sixth rounder, in addition to a conditional 1st rounder in 2024, all being given to the Packers.
The condition is that the 2011 Super Bowl winner features in at least 65% of the Jets' plays next season. In addition to Rodgers, the Jets received the No. 15 overall pick and a fifth-rounder in this year’s draft. Perhaps the one downside of the trade for the Jets is that they have now moved down two spots in the upcoming NFL Draft, where they intend to acquire a defensive linesman. “
And that final potential sticking point has been pin-pointed by Douglas. "That was probably one of the last things that was agreed to in the deal,” Jets general manager Douglas said in a pre-draft press conference.
Despite the concerns about Rodgers’ age and the amount that was given up to sign him, after lengthy negotiations, Douglas is pleased the former MVP is part of his team. “Obviously, a long time in the making,” Douglas said. “There's still some i's to be dotted and t's to be crossed to ultimately finalize everything, but it was a lot of conversations with Brian.
"I can't thank him enough for the open dialogue we've had and ultimately being able to get what we feel is a historic trade for this franchise.” Rodgers played with a broken thumb last season and that was reflected in his statistics. He produced his lowest passing rating as a starter and threw just 12 interceptions, his lowest figure for 15 years. Despite the dip in form, Douglas is confident Rodgers will adjust to his new surroundings and return to his best level.
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“You still have someone that maybe didn’t play at 100% throughout the year, but still performed at a high level,” Douglas added. “Obviously it’s an adjustment when you’re somewhere for 18 years, but we feel like with the people that we have in place, he can get comfortable quickly. I think any time you add a player of Aaron’s calibre, it’s going to raise the level of everyone. There’s going to be a standard that needs to be met.”
On Tuesday Rodgers took to Instagram to pay tribute to the fans, teammates and everyone affiliated with the Packers as his 18-year stint with the team comes to an end. “I’m not sure it’s possible to fully express the gratitude that I have to the (at)packers, our incredible fans, the state of Wisconsin, the thousands of players that I crossed paths with," he began.
“I grew up in Green Bay, drafted at 21, fell in love with the game, met some lifelong friends, and take with me memories that will last a lifetime.” He added: “To the fans, THANK YOU, you made every run out of the tunnel special, every home game magical, and it was my honor to be your QB. This is not the end for us, I will see you again Green Bay. You’ll always have my heart.”