Packers, Jets agree to trade terms for quarterback Aaron Rodgers

The Green Bay Packers and New York Jets have agreed to trade terms for quarterback Aaron Rodgers, the Associated Press and a pair of NFL insiders reported Monday.

According to ESPN, the Packers will trade Rodgers, their 2023 first-round draft pick and 2023 fifth-round pick to New York in exchange for the Jets’ 2023 first-round pick, 2023 second-round pick, a 2023 sixth-round pick and a conditional 2024 pick. The 2024 pick could be a first-round pick if Rodgers plays 65 percent of the plays this season. It would be a second-round pick if he doesn’t play enough snaps.

The trade moves the Packers up in this year’s draft from the 15th overall pick to the 13th. It also results in Green Bay having 11 picks heading into the draft, including four in the first three rounds.

Packers General Manager Brian Gutekunst confirmed the teams agreed to the terms of a trade during a press conference Monday. He said the trade still needs to be finalized, but said waiting until after the draft “would have been tough for both teams.”

“Once we do get it squared away, that’ll be a nice feeling because we’ll kind of actually know exactly what we have for this particular draft until we start moving around a little bit,” Gutekunst said. “Moving forward with compensation in this year’s draft was important to us.”

Last month Rodgers said he planned to play for the Jets this season. During his appearance on the on “The Pat McAfee Show,” he said former Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett joining New York this offseason was one of the reasons he liked the idea of playing for the team.

“There are a lot of reasons why the Jets are attractive,” Rodgers said. “But there’s one coach that has meant as much to me as any coach I’ve ever had. And he happens to be the coordinator there.”

Rodgers also criticized communication with the Packers organization regarding the decision to move on, but Gutekunst has said the Packers struggled to get ahold of Rodgers during the offseason.

His departure opens the door for first-round pick Jordan Love to become the Packers’ starting quarterback. Gutekunst said Green Bay feels good about Love and the growth they’ve seen since he joined the organization.

“We’re really excited where Jordan can go. He needs to play,” Gutekunst said. “Having him sit another year, I think, would’ve really delayed where we’re going and what we’re trying to build.”

At the 2023 NFL Annual Meeting last month, Head Coach Matt LaFleur said he was excited to see Love become the starter and was pleased with his development, both on and off the field. He also acknowledged Love could face a bit of a learning curve in his first year as a starter.

“I think we all have to kind of temper our expectations for him,” LaFleur said. “It’s just different when you’re going into a game versus when you’re starting a game, and it’s going to be a process. But it’s gonna be exciting for him (and) for us.”

Rodgers took over for hall of fame quarterback Brett Favre in 2008, who was also traded to the Jets. The California native led the Packers to victory in Super Bowl 45, is a four-time League MVP and holds a slew of statistical accomplishments.

“He’ll be one of the best to have ever done it around here,” Gutekunst said of Rodgers’ time in Green Bay. “I have a lot of respect for how he went about it and he’ll be missed, there’s no doubt about it. Players like that don’t come around very often.”