The 2022 season was a bit of a mess for the New York Jets at the quarterback position. Zach Wilson missed the start of the season, and while he did end up returning, he was a mess when he found himself on the field. As a result, there have been tons of rumors linking the Jets to several different quarterback options, with Aaron Rodgers quickly becoming one of the most discussed possible targets.
Aside from their quarterback catastrophe, the Jets put together an encouraging 2022 campaign. Their defense was one of the better units in the league, and they have finally added some talented offensive playmakers to their unit in Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall. If New York can get a quarterback to lead their offense, they could make some serious noise next season.
The first order of business involved finding a new offensive coordinator after Mike LaFleur was fired, and that has been done with the hiring of Nathaniel Hackett, which was announced early Thursday morning. With Hackett on board, it's time for the Jets to put all their chips on the table and do whatever it takes to swing a trade with the Green Bay Packers for Rodgers.
The Jets must trade for Aaron Rodgers
During the 2022 season, Hackett became the butt of many jokes thanks to his failed stint with the Denver Broncos as their head coach. The Broncos were expected to be a Super Bowl contender after pulling off a huge trade for Russell Wilson last offseason but instead, Wilson was a mess, and Hackett generally appeared to have no idea what he was doing.
Prior to joining the Broncos, Hackett had been the offensive coordinator of the Green Bay Packers offense from 2019-2021. Hackett helped Rodgers build one of the most lethal offensive attacks in the NFL, and while they didn't win a Super Bowl, Rodgers and Hackett became very close, and that relationship could help New York make a move to land Rodgers.
As always, Rodgers has been cryptic with his future plans, and nobody really knows what he's going to do this offseason. He could retire, he could request a trade, or he simply could stay put with the Packers. If he does end up asking out of Green Bay, though, the Jets look likely to be one of his top suitors.
Rumors about a potential trade for Rodgers have been floating around for quite some time now, with the price reportedly set to start off at two first-round draft picks. The good news for New York is that it sounds like they would be more than willing to pay the high price it would take to land Rodgers. In a way, it makes a lot of sense.
Prior to the 2022 season, Rodgers had won two straight MVP awards, again, with Hackett running the offense. He struggled in 2022 (350/542, 3695 YDS, 26 TD, 12 INT) and while some of that may be due to his age, he was largely set up to fail by Green Bay's front office after they traded away Davante Adams and failed to properly replace him.
Would Rodgers be interested in joining the Jets, though? It's tough to see why he wouldn't at least be open to the idea. They have some solid offensive weapons already, and their defense proved they will be a fearsome unit for the foreseeable future in 2022 as well. Had the Jets had Rodgers under center in 2022, they almost certainly would have been a playoff team.
It's close, but the Jets likely have a better supporting cast than the Packers right now. And with Rodgers nearing the end of his career if he doesn't decide to retire this offseason (he will be 40 years old next season) he's going to want to spend his final seasons chasing championships rather than losing like he did in 2022.
The Jets are clearly interested in Rodgers, and they couldn't have sent a clearer sign by going out and hiring Hackett to lead their offense. Hackett obviously knows how to run an offense, but his stock isn't necessarily high after his stint with the Broncos. There's a decent chance they wouldn't have done this if they didn't think they had a shot at landing Rodgers.
This will fuel speculation of a potential trade for Rodgers at the very least, but it's looking like the Jets have a real shot to make a move for him this offseason as a result of the hiring of Hackett. Rodgers is still playing great football, and he could be what the Jets need to become a top tier team in the AFC next season. With Hackett on board, it makes all the sense in the world for the Jets to pull off a shocking move for Rodgers this offseason.
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