NEWSLETTER
Derek Carr is off the board. The former Raiders quarterback signed with the New Orleans Saints on Monday. Now, nearly two weeks after his return from the darkness, we have a Rodgers mention. There is a report from ESPN’s Trey Wingo that Aaron Rodgers met with the Jets on Monday.
A couple of things jump out at me about this report. First, Rodgers is still under contract with the Green Bay Packers. So, if Rodgers were to speak with another team, he would need permission from the Packers. If the report by Wingo is accurate, that means the Packers have permitted him to speak with New York.
That would indicate that Rodgers has told the Packers that he wants to explore playing elsewhere. Obviously, the Packers are fine with that.
In Peter King’s MMQB, King reported that he doesn’t see the Raiders as a fit based on his conversations at the combine last week in Indianapolis. That leaves a trade to the Jets, a return to Packers, or retirement as the three viable options for Rodgers at this point.
I would imagine that the Jets would love to have Aaron Rodgers. I mean, they flirted with Derek Carr in recent weeks. And despite all reports indicating that those meetings went very well, they played the waiting game. As we know, owner Woody Johnson is enamored with the idea of landing Aaron Rodgers. It was reported last month that Jets GM Joe Douglass was telling some inside league circles that he planned on making a run at Rodgers:
“One source said that general manager Joe Douglas is admitting to people in the league the franchise will go all out in the attempt to bring Rodgers to Gang Green. And it only makes sense.”
With Carr in New Orleans, it seems like the Jets are in a “Rodgers or bust” scenario. As far as timelines are concerned, I will say this: this has been quiet, but I think it’s about to get loud. The Jets — and the Packers, for that matter — will want to have this done by the start of free agency, so they know how they will operate.
Stay tuned.
UPDATE: Rodgers and the Jets will meet again today.
ESPN’s Dan Graziano says that Aaron Rodgers and the Jets meetings will continue today. Graziano also added some missing context, saying that the Jets and Packers have and will continue to discuss a potential trade.
The New York Jets have had conversations with the Green Bay Packers and with quarterback Aaron Rodgers this week regarding a potential trade of the four-time MVP to the Jets, according to sources.
The sources said some of those conversations were expected to take place Tuesday, but that it’s unclear as of Tuesday morning whether they will result in a trade.
Rodgers still has not made any announcements about what he intends to do this season. It’s still possible he decides to retire, or to stay in Green Bay. But if he still wants to play and he and the Packers agree it’s time for him to play somewhere else, the Jets appear to be a realistic option.
So, there you have it: all parties are in communication for a second straight day, and hopefully, there will be a resolution sooner than later.
