After months of waiting, the NFL world finally got confirmation from Green Bay Packers superstar quarterback Aaron Rodgers about his plans for the 2023 season.
The four-time MVP appeared on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Wednesday, March 15. Though Rodgers prefaced his monologue by saying that the appearance wasn’t to announce a decision, the 39-year-old confirmed that he intends to play for the New York Jets next season, assuming that the Packers are able to work out a trade.
Nicole Menner with Fox11 in Green Bay tweeted the direct quote confirming that Rodgers intends to play in New York next season.
Aaron Rodgers: “Since Friday I made it clear that my intention was to play and my intention was to play for the New York Jets.”
There it is.
“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, according to Menner.
The move doesn’t come as a surprise, with the Packers and Jets engaging in trade conversations for over a week, according to numerous reports. But it was Rodgers’ clearest statement about his plans for the 2023 season.
Now, Rodgers and the rest of the NFL world will have to wait on the Packers and Jets to agree on compensation in order for a trade to be finalized.
Breaking Down the Rodgers-Jets Saga
Although speculation had linked Rodgers and the Jets together in a trade since at least December 2022, the saga only truly began in the first week of March, before the March 15 start of free agency.
Rodgers confirmed during “The Pat McAfee Show” that he had met in person with the Jets to talk about his future. Although he admitted to leaning “90%” toward retirement before his darkness retreat, plans changed for the four-time MVP once he emerged from the darkness.
Few comments have come out from the Packers since the news broke of Rodgers meeting with the Jets. However, when speaking with a reporter prior to the start of free agency, Packers president Mark Murphy heavily implied that Green Bay would prefer to usher in the Jordan Love era in 2023.
Even though he has not been officially traded to the Jets, Rodgers has been trying to lure free agents to the Jets, according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. The tactic seems to be working, with Rodgers’ former teammate Allen Lazard signing a four-year, $44 million contract with the AFC team, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Rodgers has also expressed interest in the team making a run at star wideout Odell Beckham Jr, according to ESPN’s Dianna Russini.
Is Jordan Love Ready to Be Green Bay’s Starter?
Packers fans haven’t gotten to see much of backup quarterback Jordan Love, but it looks like 2023 will finally be his chance to be a starting quarterback in the NFL.
Love was taken in the first round of the 2020 draft with the expectation that he would be the successor to Rodgers. Back-to-back MVP awards in 2020 and 2021 delayed that succession plan, however, with Love logging only one career start in his first three seasons.
Despite limited opportunities to play, Love flashed when replacing an injured Rodgers against the Philadelphia Eagles this past season. Playing the fourth quarter, Love showed out by completing 6-of-9 for 113 yards and a touchdown.
Now, the 24-year-old quarterback is being handed the reins in Green Bay.
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Aaron Rodgers Confirms Final Decision on NFL Future