Report: Aaron Rodgers, 2 Draft Picks Traded to Jets; Packers Get No. 13 Pick, More

Aaron Rodgers' tenure with the Green Bay Packers has reportedly come to an end after 18 seasons.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Rodgers—along with a pair of picks, including the 15th overall pick in Thursday's draft—has been traded to the New York Jets in exchange for a total of four picks, a package that includes the Packers' first-round pick (No. 13):

It's been expected that Rodgers would be traded ever since he said on The Pat McAfee Show on March 15 he intended to play for the Jets next season.

That announcement led to a long waiting game, as the Packers and Jets spent weeks negotiating on trade compensation for the future Hall of Fame quarterback.

Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports reported on March 27 the two teams were getting "closer" to an agreement, but the Jets wanted protection over future draft picks in the event Rodgers decides to retire after the 2023 season.

The decision to trade Rodgers comes after he left his status for 2023 open immediately following Green Bay's season-ending 20-16 loss to the Detroit Lions on Jan. 8.

"At some point, the carousel comes to a stop and it's time to get off, and I think you kind of know when that is," Rodgers told reporters after the game. "And that's what needs to be contemplated. Is it time? Also, what's the organization doing? That's part of it, as well. But the competitive fire is always going to be there. I don't think that ever goes away. Sometimes it gets transferred, I think, to other things that might not ever fill that large void. But like I said, I feel good about what I've accomplished in this league and wouldn't have any regrets walking away. But I got to see what it feels like once I get away from this."

Rodgers told The Pat McAfee Show on Feb. 7 (h/t ESPN's Rob Demovsky) he was going on a four-day "darkness retreat" to gain clarity on things before making a decision about his future.

The retreat came amid rumors that the Packers could look to trade Rodgers given his age, their salary cap situation and wanting to see what Jordan Love can do. He gained clarity by deciding he wanted to play for the Jets.

The 2022 season marked the first time the Packers have missed the playoffs in four years. It was also just the third time they have finished below .500 since 2009.

Rodgers had, arguably, the worst season of his career. His 3,695 passing yards were his fewest in a season in which he started at least 15 games. His 26 passing touchdowns were his second-fewest in a season with at least 15 starts (25 in 2018).

He was picked off 12 times, his second-most in a single season and one fewer than he had in the previous three years combined.

Rodgers' 91.1 rating and 39.4 QBR were the worst marks of his career.

Given his age and the current state of Green Bay's roster, it was probably in the best interest of both parties to move on. The Packers could use the 2023 season to evaluate Jordan Love as a potential starter.

One long-term problem that came out of Rodgers' resurgence in 2020 and 2021 was Green Bay's window to determine what kind of player Love can be has significantly decreased. He still has one more guaranteed year on his rookie contract, but the Packers have to decide by early May if they want to exercise his fifth-year option that could be worth $19.6 million.

If the coaching staff and front office have concerns about Love, the Packers could put themselves in the mix to sign or trade for a veteran quarterback.

Moving on from Rodgers does put a significant dent in Green Bay's ability to make too many roster upgrades. The three-year, $150.8 million extension he signed in March 2022 has a $99.8 million dead-cap hit for 2023.

The Packers were already $9.5 million over the cap when the offseason began. General manager Brian Gutekunst will have to do a lot of maneuvering just to have the ability to sign draft picks, let alone free agents.

Rodgers gets the opportunity for a fresh start with a new organization. Even though 2022 was rough, he's proved in the past it would be a mistake to count him out.

The reason Love is with the Packers to begin with is that Rodgers' performance started to slip in 2018 and 2019. But the veteran turned in, arguably, the two best seasons of his career in 2020 and 2021, winning the NFL MVP award for both years.

The right team with a good head coach can certainly take advantage of Rodgers' skill set in 2023.

This ends the waiting game for Jets fans who have been anxiously awaiting a positive resolution to the situation that gives them a new quarterback for next season. .

Even before Rodgers made his announcement on Pat McAfee's show, it seemed apparent a move to New York was coming. ESPN's Dianna Russini reported on March 14 he provided the Jets front office with a wish list of free agents to target:

Of the four players on that list, Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb and Marcedes Lewis all played multiple seasons with Rodgers in Green Bay.

Soon after Russini's report came out, Jordan Schultz of The Score reported Lazard agreed to a four-year, $44 million contract with the Jets.

There's a strong argument to be made the Jets would have been a dangerous playoff team in the AFC with competent quarterback play in 2022.

Head coach Robert Saleh's defense was incredibly impressive, finishing fourth in the NFL in points allowed and third in Football Outsiders' weighted DVOA. Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner is arguably the league's best cornerback already after his rookie season.

As good as their defense was, the quarterback position turned out to be such a mess that it overwhelmed everything else that happened.

Zach Wilson played poorly for much of the year and rubbed some of his teammates the wrong way with his cavalier attitude following a 10-3 loss to the New England Patriots in Week 11, per SNY.tv's Connor Hughes.

The Jets benched Wilson on two different occasions for Mike White and Chris Streveler. Joe Flacco also made four starts.

Even the version of Rodgers that fans saw in 2022 would have been significantly better than any of the three quarterbacks who made starts for the Jets. He will be able to play with a No. 1 wide receiver in Garrett Wilson, who overcame the issues at quarterback to finish with 1,103 yards and win Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Lazard knows Rodgers well having already played with him for five seasons in Green Bay. The 27-year-old set career-highs with 100 targets, 60 receptions and 788 receiving yards in 2022.

Breece Hall was on his way to being in the Offensive Rookie of the Year mix before a torn ACL ended his season in Week 7.

The pieces are in place for the Jets to be a strong playoff contender in the AFC with Rodgers taking over at quarterback.