Aaron Rodgers declared his desire to play for the Jets on Wednesday.
Now, the Jets just have to figure out a way to get him from the Packers.
The four-time MVP quarterback appeared on “The Pat McAfee Show” and ended speculation about whether he wanted to continue playing and whether that would be with the Jets.
“I think since Friday I made it clear that my intention was to play and my intention was to play for the New York Jets,” Rodgers said. “I haven’t been holding anything up at this point.
“It’s been compensation that the Packers are trying to get for me and kind of digging their heels in.”
By going public with his desire to move to the Jets, Rodgers has now put pressure on their general manager, Joe Douglas, and Packers GM Brian Gutekunst to get something done.
It is hard to envision a scenario now where Rodgers does not end up on the Jets in 2023.
“Now it’s time to do the right thing,” Rodgers said. “I don’t think there’s a scenario where they’re like, ‘well, we want this and the Jets aren’t willing to give it to us so we’ll take you back.’
“That’s not the reality.”
Aaron Rodgers explained his intentions to play for the Jets next season on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Wednesday.The Pat McAfee ShowIt is unclear what the Packers are seeking in return for Rodgers.
An NFL Network report on Wednesday said the Packers were not looking for multiple first-round picks.
The Jets surely don’t want to give up any first-round picks.
Neither side has leverage here.
The Packers can’t turn back, as Rodgers said, and the Jets have no other options to turn to.
This will be a staring contest where we’re waiting for someone to blink and no one knows how long it will take.
Rodgers said things became clear after he exited his darkness retreat in February.
He said immediately after the season the Packers had told him they wanted him to “retire as a Packer” but he when he came out of the darkness he sensed a “little bit of a shift” and he heard the team had been shopping him.
The 39-year-old said he was leaning toward retirement before going into the darkness retreat where he spent one day thinking about retiring and one day thinking about continuing his career.
“I went into the darkness 90 percent retiring and 10 percent playing,” he said. “That’s where my mind was.”
The Jets received permission to meet with Rodgers on March 7 near his home in California.
Rodgers said they had a good conversation.
Rodgers told the Jets he wanted to see how he felt after working out for a week but he had an idea he wanted to play after the meeting.
Then, last Friday he let them know he wanted to come to the Jets.
Now, the Packers and Jets need to work out a trade, and the Jets may need Rodgers to rework his contract.
Rodgers is ready to come play in New York — when the Jets and Packers agree to trade terms.Getty Images“It is my intention to play for the Jets, but I’m still under contract with the Packers,” Rodgers said.
Rodgers would give the Jets instant credibility.
They have not had a quarterback of his magnitude since 2008 when, coincidentally, they traded with the Packers for Brett Favre.
Rodgers took over as the Packers starter after that move.
The Jets went 7-10 last season with a combination of Zach Wilson, Joe Flacco and Mike White at starting quarterback.
With a top-five defense and a young nucleus of stars that include Quinnen Williams, Sauce Gardner, Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall, the Jets entered this offseason feeling they were a quarterback away from contending.
Now, they are very close to having that quarterback.
Rodgers said one big draw to the Jets is the presence of new offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, who was the OC in Green Bay from 2019-21.
Rodgers won two MVPs with Hackett coaching him.
“There’s a lot of reasons why the Jets are attractive but there’s one coach who has meant as much to me as any coach I’ve ever had and he happens to be the coordinator there,” Rodgers said.
Rodgers is ready for the trade to be done.Getty Images
NY Post illustrationWhen McAfee indicated the Jets only hired Hackett to attract Rodgers, the quarterback bristled.
“That diminishes the ability he has to coach football and connect with people,” Rodgers said. “That is to me an [expletive] objective reality. Anybody’s who been around Nathaniel Hackett knows that he brings a lot of energy, a lot of fun. He’s an incredible teacher of the game, especially at the quarterback position and he’s a really good human being.
“For people to say that was done just in an attempt to lure me is a total disservice to Nathaniel Hackett.”
Rodgers spoke glowingly of his soon-to-be offensive coordinator, Nathaniel Hackett.APRodgers would not say whether he would attend the Jets’ voluntary offseason workouts if he joins the team.
“One step at a time,” Rodgers said. “Right now, I’m still under contract.”
He also said he would decide later if he would wear jersey No. 12, which was retired for Joe Namath, or pick a new number.
Namath has given his blessing to Rodgers to wear 12.
Right now, Rodgers, the Jets and the Packers are focused on getting a deal done in order to move on. R
odgers referenced being one of the greatest players in Packers history and seemed to be pleading with Green Bay management to get a deal done.
“You’ve got an aging face of the franchise for the last 15 years that it’s time to do right by,” he said.
