It's been more than a month since Aaron Rodgers first announced his intention to play for the Jets in 2023. It's been weeks since the Packers had substantive talks with New York about a trade for the star quarterback, according to NFL Media. With the draft on the horizon, however, the two sides have resumed negotiations, per Ian Rapoport, in hopes of striking a deal this week.
The draft has always loomed as a potential first deadline for a deal, especially considering 2023 draft compensation could be involved in a trade. The Jets' first-round pick (No. 13) doesn't appear to be on the table as part of the discussions, CBS Sports' Tyler Sullivan noted this week, but New York owns two second-rounders (Nos. 42 and 43) that could well be on Green Bay's radar.
Both the Jets and Packers have acknowledged the inevitability of a Rodgers deal since the QB declared he was ready to part with Green Bay following an 18-year partnership. Jets general manager Joe Douglas has told fans Rodgers is "gonna be here." Packers GM Brian Gutekunst has suggested Rodgers' lack of offseason communication accelerated their anticipated move to QB Jordan Love.
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And yet compensation has been a consistent holdup in the talks. Technically, as former agent and CBS Sports cap expert Joel Corry detailed, the Packers would benefit from retaining Rodgers until June 2, so as to free up almost $16 million in salary cap space. But securing immediate draft compensation could benefit Green Bay's roster rebuild around Love.
The 2023 NFL Draft kicks off Thursday, April 27. The Jets will be on the clock first, at No. 13, with the Packers set to pick two spots later, at No. 15 overall.
