Getty New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh showing some emotion during an NFL game.
The New York Jets have benched Zach Wilson in the middle of his second professional season.
Gang Green ended up handing the keys of the franchise to backup quarterback Mike White in the meantime because they didn’t have many other available options post-NFL trade deadline in 2022.
However, that decision has now opened up an array of possibilities for the team to consider this offseason at the quarterback spot.
Aaron Rodgers and the Jets in the Same Sentence?
Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports believes that the Green Bay Packers and superstar quarterback Aaron Rodgers could be heading for a split this offseason.
With that thought in mind, he listed 11 NFL teams that could be potential fits via trade and the Jets were the No. 2 ranked squad on his list:
“Second-year QB Zach Wilson is already on thin ice both on the field and in the locker room, proving to be the weakest link on an otherwise feisty playoff hopeful. They’re assembled at every spot other than under center, making a veteran upgrade especially tantalizing. Coach Robert Saleh is a respected voice who’s personally matched up well with A-Rod from his time with the 49ers. And offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur, a Kyle Shanahan disciple, is the younger brother of Matt, Rodgers’ coach in Green Bay.”
Rodgers is 38 years of age and he will turn 39 before the 2022 season is over. While teams shouldn’t get in the habit of trading for players with that much tread on the tires, this is obviously a unique situation.
The Jets have proven to be more talented than anyone gave them credit for heading into this year. The one glaring weakness on the team that seems to be holding them back this season is the quarterback position.
Rodgers, in theory, could take them over the top and make them legitimate Super Bowl contenders for as long as he wanted to continue playing.
The longtime Packers legend just signed a massive three-year contract extension worth more than $150 million. However as Benjamin noted in his column, Rodgers’ cap hit for the 2023 season is only $31 million.
That figure would rank No. 10 among the highest-paid quarterbacks in 2023, per Over The Cap.
This Aaron Rodgers-Jets Fit Makes Too Much Sense
Rodgers said in an interview on the Pat McAfee show that the Jets “have always been the Jets” but after facing them in 2022 and losing, he emphatically stated that these aren’t “the same old Jets.”
#Packers QB Aaron Rodgers (@AaronRodgers12) said ‘they’ve always been the Jets that’s the moniker around them, that’s not the same old #Jets you know this is a good football team’ + ‘they’re 4-2 for a reason’ 😤: 🎥 @PatMcAfeeShow #PMSLive #TakeFlight #GoPackGo @nyjets
Rodgers has developed a newfound respect for the Jets and what would once be considered a pipedream could become a reality this offseason via a blockbuster trade.
The Jets have a ton of obvious connective tissue that would help make this trade work starting with coaching relationships (Robert Saleh and Matt LaFleur are best friends and his younger brother is the Gang Green offensive coordinator).
Now, what could a potential trade look like?
Rodgers is an elite player that has won back-to-back MVP awards and has dazzled NFL fans with his stunning list of accolades:
- 10-time Pro Bowler
- Super Bowl champion
- Super Bowl MVP
- 4-time NFL MVP
Peter King of NBC floated a potential trade idea involving the Las Vegas Raiders sending veteran Derek Carr and a third-round draft choice in exchange for Rodgers.
The problem is the Jets don’t have a Carr type on the roster that they could package in a Rodgers deal. So that would likely mean they would have to include higher-end draft picks instead to make up that difference.
How far is general manager Joe Douglas willing to go to maximize this window?
Zach Wilson holds little to no trade value so it would behoove the team to keep him. Maybe he can just ride the bench, learn from Rodgers, and after he eventually retires Wilson could reemerge and be the Jets’ future savior.
There is a lot to be considered this offseason, but one thing is for sure: Rodgers should definitely be on the Jets’ radar.