NEWSLETTER
While yukking it up with some pals, it hit us like a blindside pressure hit Justin Fields last year.
What’s the deal with the Aaron Rodgers trade?
It has been 21 days since Rodgers, currently employed by the Green Bay Packers, confirmed he wants to play for the New York Jets in 2023. And it has been 8 whole days since the asking price and sticking points in a Rodgers trade were headlining the discussion surrounding the quarterback conundrum. But otherwise, there hasn’t been much on the Rodgers front. Maybe that is a good thing. After all, the less I read or hear about (or from) that guy, the better off my mental health figures to be. And yet, I’m still trying to figure out what the hold-up is with that trade. It’s gone awfully quiet, which makes me itchy thinking about it.
Maybe the Packers are waiting out a monster return. As someone who is known as “Trader Lu” in fantasy leagues, I can vibe with holding out for the best possible return.
For starters, the Packers aren’t going to be in this situation again. At least, that’s my hope. I really don’t want Green Bay in a spot where it is trading a QB who is just one year after he won an MVP. I’m done with them having a rabbit’s foot in a cheesy crevice when it comes to QB.
Anyway, the Packers should have the Jets in a most compromising position when it comes to trade chatter. After all, the Jets are the only team more desperate than the Bears when it comes to solving the QB position. I guess that was bound to happen after choosing Zach Wilson when Justin Fields was sitting right there for ya.
A part of me sees this being a perfect storm for Green Bay to get a great deal. Except it isn’t. Let’s remember that Rodgers is coming off a ridiculously disappointing year. Heck, I’ll come out and say it. Rodgers was looking washed for most of the 2022 season. And in the most important game of the year, he couldn’t even win a home game against the Lions. Tough scene. Throw in his sideshow shenanigans and all of a sudden it looks like the Jets have leverage in negotiations. The Packers shouldn’t want to deal with the Rodgers show anymore. And the Jets seem to welcome odd antics. It truly is a perfect match.
And yet … no deal. What gives?
Perhaps there is a financial aspect to all of this. If you’ll recall, trading Rodgers isn’t as simple as two sides shaking hands and agreeing to send that guy packing. It isn’t even as easy as agreeing on compensation. The money thing could very well be a hangup in all this. And, frankly, we shouldn’t overlook it.
Here is the simplest breakdown of the financials that could be holding this deal up, via OverTheCap.com’s data:
- Trading Aaron Rodgers before June 1 would come with Green Bay taking on a dead-money hit of $40,313,570. Plus, a pre-June 1 deal would leave the Packers losing $8.69 million in cap space. Nice!
- HOWEVER, trading Rodgers after June 1 would create $15.79 million in cap space. Sure, it would come at the cost of $15,833,570 worth of a dead cap hit. But the juice could be worth the squeeze when it comes to the waiting game.
Or maybe Rodgers is holding this all up because he likes the drama? I can imagine Rodgers mucking this up so he can be the main character during the first round of the NFL Draft. At a minimum, I wouldn’t put it past Rodgers to muddy the waters here because it keeps him in the headlines that much longer. Either that or he is *REALLY* enjoying his dark space getaway.
Ultimately, I find this all to be a fascinating place. What a time to be an onlooker waiting for one of these sides to blink first. If you’re HBO, how could you not want this on Hard Knocks? It sure beats the drama-free Bears.
