The Aaron Rodgers trade between the Green Bay Packers and the New York Jets has been finalized, and they were able to get it done a few days before the 2023 NFL Draft. With the revised Aaron Rodgers contract, the teams needed a couple of extra days prior to the draft to ensure the money is where it should be.
Both teams and their fanbases can now finally enter into a new era. However, which team won the trade? This is sports, after all, so we have to declare a winner. Let’s take a look at the Aaron Rodgers trade details and determine which team got the better of the other.
Aaron Rodgers Trade Details
The Aaron Rodgers trade was finalized on Monday. The two teams will swap first-round picks and the Packers will send their fifth-round pick in exchange for a sixth. Additionally, the Packers receive the 42nd overall pick next season and a second-round pick next year that can become a first if Rodgers plays 65% of the snaps.
Packers Get: 2023 Round 1 Pick (No. 13), 2023 Round 2 Pick (No. 42), 2023 Round 6 Pick (No. 207), Conditional 2024 Round 1-2 Pick*
Jets Get: Aaron Rodgers, 2023 Round 1 Pick (No. 15), 2023 Round 5 Pick (No. 170)
Prior to being traded, Rodgers will sign a revised contract to lessen the cap hit on the Packers in 2023, and he will not be on the books beyond this season.
The Jets will convert Rodgers’ option bonus into a signing bonus. This means that number is split evenly between the remaining contract years (four years), making the Aaron Rodgers contract cap hit in 2023 is only $15.7M.
Which Team Won the Aaron Rodgers Trade?
Again, we’re talking about sports. Football. Real football. Not that crap across the pond. Over here, we have a winner and a loser, so which team won the Aaron Rodgers trade?
It is important to address the entire situation first. Because Brian Gutekunst has hitched his wagon to Jordan Love, this trade was inevitable. This was made even clearer after both Gute and Mark Murphy both said the only way Rodgers would be back is if everything they wanted to happen didn’t happen (interesting negotiation tactic).
How the Jets Win
The New York Jets gave up a decent amount for Aaron Rodgers, but they instantly become contenders. In the end, the way the Jets win this trade is very simple. If they win a Super Bowl with Rodgers, then they win this trade. And that can be this year or in a future season.
Similarly to the Rams, if you win a Super Bowl, then you accomplished your goal and everything was a success. The Jets fanbase has been so deprived of success that many have said that a playoff win will be worth the draft picks they gave up. That’s setting the bar pretty low, but winning a Super Bowl or ushering in a new era of success is how the Jets win this trade.
However, if they don’t win a Super Bowl and Rodgers retires after this season, they clearly lose. The money owed to Rodgers would then move up, hindering their chance of future success as well.
How the Packers Win
I am a very vocal critic of Brian Gutekunst. I do not believe he is good at his job, and he’s not even a true general manager. With that being said, I think the Packers got as much as they possibly could, given the circumstances.
They got rid of a great deal of leverage by publicly saying they didn’t want Rodgers anymore. Despite going about things the wrong way (as is the Green Bay way), I believe this trade is a success… so far.
Of course, the Green Bay Packers draft picks mean absolutely nothing if they are wasted on poor players. If they draft some winners, they could easily win this trade.
With that being said, the Jordan Love era in Green Bay is nearly already a failure, and not much of that has to do with him. No, he hasn’t proven to be a great player or worth his draft value in the slightest, but his failure is mostly due to this front office.
In order to win a Super Bowl, the quarterback must be on a rookie contract or play like an MVP. Even if Love is good, that won’t be enough. Unless he turns into an MVP, which is tough for anyone much less him, then the Jordan Love/Brian Gutekunst era in Green Bay will be deemed a failure.
So, Who Won the Aaron Rodgers Trade?
At this point in time, the Aaron Rodgers trade looks to be a win for both sides. The Packers nearly maximized trade value, given the situation, while the Jets got the most talented passer in NFL history. We as fans won as well, since we can finally take steps forward instead of stalling. Both fanbases also overwhelmingly feel like they won the trade, which is good.
However, if you are measuring this trade’s success based on which team has the better chance to win Super Bowl in the next three or five years, then the Jets win. As I said, Jordan Love needs to be an MVP, since he is about to get paid. If he doesn’t play to that level, Titletown won’t bring Lombardi home anytime soon.
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