The deal has finally come to fruition: Aaron Rodgers’ intention to play for the New York Jets has finally become a reality. The 18-year veteran and the Green Bay Packers have agreed to send the four-time NFL MVP to New York along with their 15th overall pick, and a fifth round pick, in exchange for the Jets’ 13th overall pick, 42nd overall pick, a sixth round pick, and a conditional 2024 second round pick that would become a first should Rodgers play at least 65% of New York’s offensive snaps in 2023. 

The extended back and forth drama between the Packers and the Jets is finally over as Green Bay will now turn to Jordan Love as their quarterback for the future. The New York Jets will now turn to 39-year-old Aaron Rodgers as opposed to Zach Wilson, the 2nd overall pick in the 2021 overall draft. The Jets will look to turn the tide this season after acquiring Rodgers, who has led the NFL in passer rating four separate times and has the second highest passer rating of all time at 103.6.

Even though Jets legend and Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath granted Rodgers the opportunity to wear No. 12, Rodgers is instead expected to wear No. 8, the number he had worn in college at the University of Cal.

Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst highlighted the importance of getting this deal done before the draft.

“It wouldn’t have been the end of the world. But at the same time, I think it would have certainly changed things quite a bit. So, getting it done was important. I just think  certainly the capital for this year was very important, certainly more valuable than future stuff, for our football team. So there were a number of reasons, but that’s why,” Gutekunst said.

Both teams were in talks for weeks before they eventually broke down. Soon enough, these talks picked right back up and Gutekunst and Jets GM Joe Douglass were finally able to agree on a deal that would send Aaron Rodgers to the big apple. 

Clearly not satisfied with the 2nd overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft in Zach Wilson, Jets GM Joe Douglass and HC Robert Saleh are taking a big gamble on Aaron Rodgers, hoping he can turn around the direction of the Jets franchise and break the longest current playoff drought of any professional team in the four main American sports leagues, that being 12 years.

For Green Bay, this marks the end of an era. Rodgers, a Super Bowl champion and a four-time NFL MVP, will no longer be the quarterback for the cheeseheads. The Packers are now expected to turn to Jordan Love, the 2020 first-round pick who had spent the previous three seasons backing up Rodgers. Ultimately, it was Brian Gutekunst’s controversial decision to draft Love that set the stage for Aaron Rodgers to rethink things, and eventually led to his departure.