National Football League

Jets confident Aaron Rodgers trade will get done; Packers GM says QB ignored him

Published Mar. 27, 2023 10:21 p.m. ET

It has been nearly two weeks since Aaron Rodgers publicly stated his intention to play for the New York Jets next season. As of Monday afternoon, though, Rodgers remains under contract with the Green Bay Packers and no trade to land him in New York appears imminent.

At the NFL owners' meetings in Arizona, however, Jets general manager Joe Douglas and head coach Robert Saleh both expressed confidence the team would land its top quarterback target.

Douglas said there have been "productive conversations" with the Packers about a trade for the four-time NFL MVP.

"Obviously, we're not where we need to be yet, but we feel like we're in a good place. … We're very optimistic moving forward," Douglas told SNY.

Saleh refused to directly address the possibility of adding Rodgers to not risk running afoul of NFL tampering rules, but made clear that he believes a trade will be completed and is not agonizing over the timeline of when that happens.

"It takes two to tango," Saleh told reporters. "It's a process. We respect the process. Whenever it gets done, it will get done. … I'm a positive thinker. I'm sure eventually they'll work something out."

[What's the holdup with Aaron Rodgers' trade to the Jets?]

When asked if adding a veteran quarterback who knows the team's offense helps ease the urgency of getting that veteran integrated with the team — Rodgers won back-to-back MVP awards in 2020 and 2021 under then-Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, who now has the same role with the Jets — Saleh admitted it would help.

"If there's great rapport with the coordinator, there's no urgency," Saleh said. "If the quarterback understands the system, it's just a matter of refining skills and doing all that stuff. There's no hurry on our end."

Trade incoming?

The Packers and Jets have yet to finalize a trade for Aaron Rodgers.

As for Rodgers' current team, Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst told reporters Monday that he tried to contact Rodgers several times in the beginning of the offseason to discuss the quarterback's and team's futures — but Rodgers never responded, pushing backs on the star's claim that the Packers were going behind his back in making plans to carry on without him.

"Our inability to reach him or for him to respond in any way, I think at that point then I had to do my job and reach out and understand that a trade could be possible and see who was interested," Gutenkunst said. "I was really looking to the conversations with Aaron to see how he fit into [our future]."

Gutekunst confirmed that there is no timeline on a Rodgers trade, and while he hopes it will come together soon, all options — including an unlikely Rodgers return — remain "on the table."

Both Saleh and Douglas also admitted that Rodgers' public comments on the Pat McAfee Show about wanting to play for the Jets were a validation of sorts of what the two are hoping to build in New York.

"It’s an exciting opportunity for a player of his caliber to even want to be here," Douglas said. "It’s a real credit to coach Saleh, his staff, [owner Woody] Johnson [and his] family for their support, and what’s being built here."

Despite a potential Rodgers trade still in limbo, New York has added wide receivers Allen Lazard and Mecole Hardman in free agency and could bring in additional veterans as Odell Beckham Jr. and Ezekiel Elliott both reportedly have interest in joining the Jets as well. Saleh and Douglas also revealed the team is pursuing free agents such as Ben Jones to shore up the offensive line at center and Calais Campbell to add some veteran presence on the defensive line.

Pressure on Saleh?

Is Robert Saleh at risk if Aaron Rodgers falls through for Jets?

"To have a guy of [Rodgers'] caliber — and a lot of guys willing to come here and play, there's a lot of excitement around the organization," Saleh said. "It's a cool thing to be a part of. Hopefully we can continue moving forward and capitalize on the momentum."

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