The Green Bay Packers and New York Jets seem to be deadlocked when it comes to Aaron Rodgers trade talks.
While many believe that a trade between the two teams will get done (eventually), there are others that believe another team, such as the San Francisco 49ers, could swoop in and trade for the future Hall of Fame quarterback. This, in the opinion of many, would be a disaster for the Jets. One of the people who thinks this way is former Packers wide receiver (and Rodgers teammate) James Jones.
James Jones recently appeared on The Carton Show to discuss the ongoing Aaron Rodgers trade saga. During his interview, he offered the following opinion on the necessity for the Jets to complete the trade for the four-time MVP.
“If they don’t get Aaron Rodgers you are talking about another miserable season for Jets fans because you’re going to have to watch Zach Wilson go out there and it’ll probably be a carousel, 5,6,7 quarterbacks.
“You have a really good young defense, really good young players around the quarterback on the offensive side of the ball. You need a guy that can sling it over the yard. Aaron Rodgers is that guy. So yes, if they lose out on Aaron Rodgers this is a huge loss for this Jets organization and I don’t know if they even get to five wins if they do not get Aaron Rodgers.”
This is what Packers fans have been hanging their hat on all offseason. If the Jets refuse to at least budge a little, they risk trotting Zach Wilson out as their quarterback again in 2023. As Jones notes, this would be an absolute waste of the rest of the talent on that team. At the end of the day, Joe Douglas needs to get this deal done or he could be searching for another job.
The fact of the matter is that the Packers already have their quarterback for 2023: Jordan Love. The Jets, well, they need Aaron Rodgers. In addition, they have already made moves with the sole purpose of making their team appealing to Rodgers. Allen Lazard was signed to a four-year $44 million contract. Nathaniel Hackett was hired as the offensive coordinator. In short, they are close to succeeding where the Denver Broncos failed when they tried to trade for Rodgers last season.
There are also all the times that owner Woody Johnson and general manager Joe Douglas have publicly guaranteed that Rodgers would be coming to the Jets. If they somehow fail to make good on those guarantees, Jets fans will, understandably, be horribly disappointed. They have not made the playoffs in 12 years. Getting Rodgers to play alongside their young talent could change that.
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