The long national nightmare is finally over. The long-rumored trade between the Packers and Jets that sends All-Pro quarterback Aaron Rodgers to New York from Green Bay was announced on Monday. While not yet official, the deal is done.
The reported detail of the major trade
Green Bay receives:
No. 13 overall pick (1st round)
No. 42 overall pick (2nd round)
No. 207 overall pick (6th round)
A conditional 2nd-round pick in 2024 that becomes a 1st-rounder if Rodgers plays 65 percent of the snaps for the Jets in 2023
The Jets receive:
Aaron Rodgers
No. 15 overall pick (1st round)
No. 170 overall pick (5th round)
What does all of this mean for Green Bay and, by extension, Detroit?
Jordan Love is the new starting QB for the Packers. Now entering his fourth NFL season, Love has thrown more than five pass attempts in five career games. Green Bay has lost all five, including a Week 18 loss to conclude the 2021 season in Detroit.
The Packers moved up two spots in the first round, which gives them a better opportunity to land a player more of their choosing. Jumping in front of the New England Patriots at No. 14 and dropping the Jets to No. 15 takes away a couple of potential offensive line suitors if that’s what Green Bay GM Brian Gutekunst wants to pick. They also jump to the front of any line for tight ends.
The later picks give the Packers more opportunities to rebuild their depth, which has waned in the last couple of seasons. Green Bay also has two first-round picks in 2024, presuming Rodgers hits the playing time threshold. If he doesn’t, the Jets have made a colossal mistake.
From a Lions perspective, no longer having to face Rodgers is a major relief. Even though Detroit did find some success against him (Rodgers went 18-8 vs. the Lions), Rodgers remained the preeminent opposing QB on the schedule every season. Before safety Kerby Joseph finished off the Rodgers era in Green Bay by picking off his final pass in a Packers uniform to preserve Detroit’s Week 18 win, he’d won eight straight starts against the Lions.
