The Packers, by all appearances, want to move on from Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers is at least exploring the possibility of playing for the team that was bought and paid for with Big Pharma profits.
So if the Packers trade Rodgers to the Jets, what should Green Bay expect?
With Rodgers due to make nearly $60 million this year, with no guarantee he’ll play in 2024, and with the Packers ready to turn the page to Jordan Love, the Packers should be reasonable. They should be fair. They shouldn’t create a major roadblock to the continuation of Rodgers’s career.
So here’s an idea. Since the two franchises are back at the table on a trade for a franchise quarterback 15 years after the deal that sent Brett Favre to the Jets, why not dust off the Favre trade terms?
They went like this: Fourth-round pick in 2009 if Favre played fewer than 50 percent of the snaps in 2008; third-round pick if Favre played 50 percent of the snaps; second-round pick if Favre played 70 percent of the snaps and the Jets made the playoffs; first-round pick if Favre played 80 percent of the snaps and the Jets made it to the Super Bowl.
The Packers eventually got a third-round pick.
Why not use the same terms here? It seems fair and reasonable. (That said, the Jets may not want to tie up four rounds of draft picks in 2024, and the Packers may not want to wait until 2024 to get value for Rodgers.)
In the end, the package should be realistic and flexible. Maybe a mid-level pick for 2023 with more for 2024, based on playing time or accomplishments in 2023. Maybe something for 2025 if he plays in 2024.
Regardless, the Packers shouldn’t put their thumb on the scale. If they’re ready to move on, they should do something that gives them a little something on top of the bigger thing they hope to engineer — the dawn of the Jordan Love era.