GM reveals if Jets thought Packers would keep Aaron Rodgers

New York Jets general manager Joe Douglas has suggested there were at least some fears within the organization the Green Bay Packers could keep quarterback Aaron Rodgers through the summer months. 

"That was certainly one scenario that they could have followed through on," Douglas said of the Packers during a Thursday discussion with Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. "Whether or not we thought it was real or not, our focus was always just, 'Let’s get this player in the building.' And we know there was things they could do, they knew there was some different avenues that we could possibly go down. But ultimately I think we were both working in good faith to get this deal done." 

It was known even after Rodgers said during a March appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show" he intended to play for the Jets this coming season that the Packers could wait until Week 1 of the campaign to pick up the $58.3M option bonus attached to his deal. 

Reports continued throughout April that the Packers and Jets couldn't agree on draft-pick compensation and protection regarding a trade involving Rodgers, and Packers offensive tackle David Bakhtiari then raised eyebrows when he hinted Green Bay essentially could hold onto the four-time NFL Most Valuable Player into the fall if the club's asking price went unmatched by the Jets. 

Douglas admitted to Florio there were some "tenuous points" during negotiations but added that there was "never a point where we felt like we were just gonna turn our back and walk away." The Jets eventually got their quarterback in a trade the Packers may end up winning when all is said and done if the Jets' 2024 conditional second-round draft pick becomes a first-round choice due to Rodgers playing 65% of the team's plays this season: