Aaron Rodgers Officially Traded To The New York Jets For The 2023 Season
Will the New York Jets see the playoffs for the first time since 2010? Can they anticipate securing a championship
Victoria Liotta
Will the New York Jets see the playoffs for the first time since 2010? Can they anticipate securing a championship title for the first time since Super Bowl III? Is Aaron Rodgers the answer? Everyone has a lot to say about the recent trade of Rodgers to the New York Jets from the Green Bay Packers including ex-head coach Rex Ryan and the Jets’ general manager Joe Douglas.
New York Welcomes Aaron Rodgers
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It’s official. Rodgers is a New York Jet for the 2o23 season and Douglas is calling it “a historic trade for the franchise.”
To secure Rodgers as a quarterback, the Jets forged a 2023 second-round draft pick, and a 2024 conditional second-rounder that has the potential to be a first-rounder if Rodgers plays 65 percent of the snaps. “I mean, obviously, we’re comfortable with how this deal is shaped. I don’t think anyone ever walks away from a negotiation where you feel like you won everything in terms of what’s going back and forth. But ultimately our goal from the beginning was to add Aaron to the team and so we were able to get that agreed to and [we’re] just excited (to) get him here.” the general manager said yesterday, April 25, during his pre-draft news conference. One final agreement to the trade was swapping 2023 first-round picks with Green Bay giving them spot 13 and taking spot 15 in return in the draft that happens tomorrow night.
Although the veteran quarterback expressed being “90 percent retired” this past February, the Jets are still hopeful to have him for at least two seasons. They knew that a solid quarterback is what they needed to solidify the team and owner Woody Johnson made it clear that he’d be “absolutely willing to make a bold investment in the position,” hence Rodger’s entrance.
Rex Ryan Is READY For A Win
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But, let’s be real, he’s been ready. The former head coach of the Jets, which coached the team into their last playoff appearance, 12 years ago, was not shy about his excitement over Rodgers. During ESPN’s “Get Up” on Tuesday Ryan said, ”This happens to be Super Bowl III — my dad’s Super Bowl ring right here, and why am I wearing it? Because the Jets are going! And to me, watch out, everybody, here come the Jets, here come the Jets!” For a quick insight, His father, Buddy Ryan earned a Super Bowl ring for the Jets as their defensive line coach during their 1968 season.
“This is the missing piece for the New York Jet right here,” Ryan added. “Our defense is better than yours. Our quarterback’s better than yours. It is on.”
He continued his support by saying “The entire National Football League, we just put you on notice. And guess what? We’re gonna kick your butt. Here we come, Jets.”
What Does This Mean For Zach Wilson?
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Zach Wilson was the overall No. 2 pick in 2021. Unfortunately, however, he was benched twice last season and will now take on the role of the No. 2 quarterback, behind Rodgers. And, although this might sound simple, Wilson might be thinking otherwise.
If you’ve missed the TikToks and Instagram Reels, Wilson specifically told a reporter “I’m gonna make that dude’s life hell in practice every day,” when asked what his response would be to the Jets signing a veteran quarterback.
Well, the time has come, and seems as though Douglas has other hopes for Wilson as he gains Rodgers as a mentor. “I feel like this is going to be a great thing for Zach,” Douglas said. “No one works harder, no one loves ball [more] than Zach Wilson and him having the opportunity to really shadow and be with a Hall of Fame quarterback every day, every hour — that’s a great opportunity, a great learning experience.”
All in all, Rodgers becoming a New York Jet has a lot of potential and gives fans hope going into the 2023 season.