Aaron Rodgers’ intention to play for the New York Jets in 2023 came to fruition on Monday as the Green Bay Packers, his NFL home of 18 seasons, agreed to send the four-time NFL MVP to the Big Apple along with their 15th overall draft pick (first round) and a fifth-round selection (No. 170) in exchange for the Jets’ 13th overall draft choice (first round), a second-round pick (No. 42), a sixth-round pick (No. 207) and a conditional 2024 second-round pick that will become a first-rounder should Rodgers play at least 65 percent of New York’s offensive plays in 2023.
Packers GM Brian Gutekunst spoke to reporters after the trade and made it clear that it was time to move on from quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who is “obviously up there in age” at 39 years old.
“Aaron is obviously up there in age. I think he’s got some really good football left in him. As we got through the offseason, this made sense…,” Gutekunst said, according to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky.
“Having [Jordan Love] sit for another year would’ve really delayed [his development].”
He continued:
“That’s part of the job, right?” Gutekunst said. “Absolutely. That’s part of the job. Obviously, Aaron was entering a time in his career where he was going to be ending, and we had to be prepared for the future and get prepared to try to move forward.
“Yeah, that’s part of the National Football League. Great players are going to come, and they’re going to go. You’ve got to be prepared to add good football players to your roster, so you can keep winning. This is the National Football League.”
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NFL stories via Google! Follow Us
The 24-year-old Love has served as Rodgers’ backup since 2020.
The former Utah State product will now lead the Packers following a disappointing 2022 campaign, in which the team finished 8-9 and missed the playoffs after a final regular season loss to the Detroit Lions, which turned out to be Rodgers’ last game.
Rodgers, who won back-to-back MVP awards in 2020 and 2021, is now headed for New York after months of speculation.
Gutekunst has been praised for his ability to find and develop talent through the draft and free agency.
His biggest task is hoping that Jordan Love turns into the franchises’ next greatest QB just as Aaron Rodgers and Brett Favre did before him.
As the general manager of one of the most storied franchises in the NFL, Gutekunst will continue to be a key figure in the league for years to come.
