Aaron Rodgers is no closer to being a member of the New York Jets since his declaration of wanting to play for them, but he is acting like a man who is already part of the franchise.
Veteran defensive end Calais Campbell, who signed with the Atlanta Falcons in free agency this offseason, told Josina Anderson of CBS Sports that Rodgers texted him to try and persuade him to sign with the Jets.
“It was kind of crazy because Aaron Rodgers texted me and he’s like ‘come on man, let’s go win a championship together.’ It was appealing having Aaron Rodgers text you talking about winning a Super Bowl together, but when it came down to it, I just had this gut feeling that Atlanta was a special place and the value I could bring would be most effective there.”
“Honestly, it comes down to the value I could bring,” Campbell added of his decision to sign with the Falcons over the Jets. “I think a good part of it was in the Jets system where I would have played and what I could bring wasn’t as appealing as Atlanta’s system.”
Campbell agreed to a one-year deal with the Falcons in March.
In the 2008 NFL Draft, Calais was selected in the second round by the Arizona Cardinals. He quickly established himself as a force on the Cardinals’ defense, earning Pro Bowl honors in 2014 and 2015. In 2017, he signed a four-year, $60 million contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars, where he continued his dominant play, earning another Pro Bowl selection in 2018.
In 2020, Calais was traded to the Baltimore Ravens, where he continued to excel on the field. He was named to his third Pro Bowl and earned second-team All-Pro honors for his performance during the season.
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NFL stories via Google! Follow Us
He spent the last three seasons of his career with the Baltimore Ravens and is coming off a solid 2022 campaign in which he posted 5.5 sacks, two pass breakups, two forced fumbles, 36 tackles, four tackles for a loss, and 14 quarterback hits.
Calais is widely regarded as one of the best defensive linemen in the NFL, with his size, strength, and versatility making him a valuable asset to any team.
It’s easy to see why Rodgers wanted him on the team.
As for Rodgers officially being traded, ESPN’s Dianna Russini reported Thursday on Get Up that the Packers and Jets haven’t had many conversations about a deal but that it’s “just really a matter of when at this point.”
