The New York Jets are allegedly trying their hand at another future Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame quarterback, and this one, ironically, is slightly older than the last one.
Super Bowl MVP QB Aaron Rodgers confirmed the long-swirling rumors on The Pat McAfee show, where he has a regular (at times controversial) segment on Wednesday.
"I made it clear that my intention was to play for the New York Jets," Rodgers said.
No trade was officially announced, with Rodgers saying terms were still being finalized. He confirmed his intent at virtually exactly the same time the Jets tweeted googly eyes on The Pat McAfee Show.
Get Tri-state area news and weather forecasts to your inbox. Sign up for NBC New York newsletters.
It's almost as if they knew, huh? Rodgers indicated as much, saying in Wednesday's update, albeit still characteristically vague, that the decision had been made days ago. Now it's a matter of ironing out compensation.
Even for Rodgers, who has been notoriously unpredictable when it comes to NFL decision-making, his statements on The Pat McAfee Show combined with the Jets' tweet leave little doubt.
Rodgers described the apparent move as an appropriate transition for the "next chapter" of his life, when asked about playing in New York versus retiring, as had also been rumored for the better part of the last year.
4 p.m. marks the official start of NFL free agency, and while Rodgers isn't a free agent, his future remained murky -- primarily because he's Rodgers. The 39-year-old spent time ruminating in a darkness retreat last month and said "stay tuned" when peppered repeatedly about his meeting with Jets owner Woody Johnson and possible future in New York.
Lately, though, all signs have indicated a Big Apple arrival. The Jets had made it clear they were looking, and while the news is still not official, the other two top free agent quarterbacks, Derek Carr and Jimmy Garoppolo, are reportedly off the board. Then came Rodgers' reported "wish list" of players he supposedly wanted to come along for the ride.
The latest shoe to drop was the Jets reportedly making a deal with one of Rodgers' favorite and most reliable receivers, Allen Lazard. Lazard was one of three Packers on Rodgers' reported wish list.
This happened Wednesday afternoon.
He also supposedly wants former Giants-turned-Browns-turned-Rams standout Odell Beckham Jr.
Even coming off another serious knee injury, it's unlikely any fans would complain about having him return to New York --e except, of course, for the ones who wear blue. No free agency deal can officially be announced until 4 p.m. ET. Track all of the frenzy right here.
The Jets have been looking for their franchise QB since Joe Namath won their only Super Bowl in 1969. They've used three top 5 draft picks on efforts since 2009 -- Mark Sanchez, Sam Darnold and Zach Wilson -- and second-rounders on Christian Hackenberg (yikes) and Geno Smith, who recently rebounded in Seattle, in that same time.
They've gone 90-136 in that period and notched just three seasons above .500 in that span.
Brett Favre was already 38 when he signed on with Gang Green in 2008. He didn't last there beyond the season and moved to the Minnesota Vikings for the next two, where he performed much better, before retiring in 2010.
Rodgers earned MVP honors with the Packers in 2020 and 2021 but is coming off a 2022 season in which he had his lowest passer rating as a starter and threw 12 interceptions, his highest total since 2008. The Packers went 8-9 and missed the playoffs to end a string of three straight NFC North titles.
His looming arrival would add more fire to an AFC East Conference that has seen intense shakeups since the departure of Tom Brady in New England, the rise of Josh Allen in Buffalo and the emergence of Tua Tagovailoa, along with his team's acquisitions of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle via draft.
