Aaron Rodgers brought a crowd of nearly 500,000 live viewers to the Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday, most eagerly awaiting updates on his future from the man himself.
After a lengthy preamble where the four-time MVP promised an update on his “state of affairs” but not his 2023 plans, Rodgers eventually divulged his expectations for the upcoming NFL season. Per his own words, the future Hall of Famer told the Green Bay Packers “my intention [is] to play and my intention [is] to play for the New York Jets.”
That leaves the two franchises to hammer out trade details and figure out who’ll assume which parts of the more than $185 million in remaining salary cap commitments tied to the veteran quarterback’s contract, as well as what kind of draft compensation New York will have to send West to lock down its new signal caller.
"I've already made my decision.. this is just clearing things up for everybody that's interested"@AaronRodgers12 dives into his career with the Green Bay Packers #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/AxpId4qo5W
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 15, 2023
While there’s no official deal yet, Rodgers’ appearance puts what promises to be the biggest move of the 2023 offseason firmly on the horizon. A trade would allow the Packers to see what Jordan Love can do as a full-time starter while giving the Jets the stable presence at quarterback the franchise so badly needs.
Rodgers used his appearance to detail the steps that led him from possible retirement to a move to northern New Jersey. Everything began with the five-day darkness retreat the 39-year-old used to reset his mental and physical states.
“When I came out of the darkness, something changed,” Rodgers told McAfee. “I realized there’d been a little bit of a shift. I heard from multiple people that I trust… that there was some shopping going on, that [the Packers] were thinking of moving me.
“When I went into the darkness I was 90 percent retired. … When I came out I was really interested in what the landscape was. Where Green Bay was and obviously, if I wanted to play, what were the options. Even though the Packers were going to say the right thing publicly, they were ready to move on.”
Rodgers went on to explain the process and how he thinks the Packers could have handled it better, particularly following comments from top executive Mark Murphy that told the world the man who’d been the team’s starter for the last 15 years was no longer his top choice.
“There’s no victims here. I love Green Bay. I love the fans. … I just think I wish that in the beginning of the offseason that had been the conversation. If they had just said… ‘We love you, you’re going to be a Packer Hall of Famer … but it’s time to move on,’ I would have said, ‘Thank you so much.’
“That’s fine. It’s totally fine. This is a great profession but it’s a tough business.”
When pressed on whether the Jets’ reported interest in Packers teammates on the free agent market — and Allen Lazard’s four-year, $44 million contract with New York — Rodgers denied he’d given the club a “wish list,” albeit as ironically as possible.
Aaron Rodgers downplays that he demanded his old teammates come to Jets before he does.
"My only demand," he says, "is for transparency."
— Jori Epstein (@JoriEpstein) March 15, 2023
He also roasted Adam Schefter when the ESPN reporter reached out in an effort to pick up a scoop about Rodgers’ future.
"Ask Schefter what I texted him when he somehow got my number."
"Lose my number. Nice try."
SHEESH RODGERS
— Will Brinson (@WillBrinson) March 15, 2023
Rodgers kept the good feelings about his Packer departure by puffing up his replacement on the way out. He called Love a “great player” and made sure to point out Green Bay had “a great young team.”
But that’s a team Rodgers won’t be a part of in 2023, barring a shocking turnaround. The veteran quarterback went from telling the world he wasn’t about to unveil his plans on the show to laying out exactly where he wants to play and how he got there in roughly a 10-minute span. Now we sit and wait for the Jets and Packers to hammer out a deal — and think about how this will impact the races in the AFC East and NFC North.
