Report: Aaron Rodgers Reworking Contract 'Not a Requirement' for Jets-Packers Trade

A trade sending Aaron Rodgers to the New York Jets may not be contingent on him renegotiating his current contract, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

"Aaron Rodgers has that $58 million balloon payment that's due to him," Fowler said Sunday on SportsCenter. "I've asked around on if he would need a long-term deal, would he need it reworked? I don't get that sense right now that would be a requirement for a trade. So really, the Jets would be inheriting that money, and they can figure that all out as they go."

Some financial maneuvering will be required on New York's side one way or another to facilitate this deal. Rodgers carries a $31.6 million salary cap hit for the 2023 season, which can lower significantly after a trade.

Even then, the Jets only have $8.6 million in available cap space at the moment. Accompanying moves are required in order to fit Rodgers onto the payroll, especially when considering New York's incoming draft picks could further shrink its financial flexibility.

When it broadly comes to the transaction, Fowler reported a sense of inevitability remains and alluded to the 2023 NFL draft possibly being a soft deadline for a final agreement. The Jets have the No. 42 and 43 picks, which Green Bay might want to grab before Day 2 of the draft commences.

The MMQB's Albert Breer painted a similar picture Wednesday when he wrote, "Because a foundational piece of the trade will be the 42nd or 43rd pick, chances are very high that Rodgers will become a Jet between now and early Friday night."