Wait, the Packers might not get a first-round pick for Aaron Rodgers?

If the Green Bay Packers trade Aaron Rodgers to the New York Jets, surely they would want a first-round pick at minimum, right?

Even if it turned out to be a 2024 first-rounder and not the 13th overall pick in this year’s draft, that would be fine.

But it seems to be far from a guarantee that the Packers will land a first-rounder in a trade.

Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated doesn’t believe the Jets would have to give up a first-round pick in a trade for Aaron Rodgers.

“I might be wrong, but based on what I know, I don’t think the Jets will have to give up this year’s first-round pick,” Breer wrote.

Well, that’s hardly ideal. That 13th overall pick sure would help kick off the Jordan Love era in Green Bay.

And it’s understandable from the Jets’ perspective. Why would they give up the 13th overall selection for a quarterback who may only play one season? Perhaps if they get a commitment from Rodgers to play longer than that, a first-rounder makes more sense.

From the Packers’ perspective, they should ask.

The Jets desperately need a quarterback. To get one in the draft, they will likely need to give up far more than just the 13th overall pick. They would need to move up to the top four, most likely, and maybe even higher unless they don’t mind which of the top quarterback prospects they end up with.

If a trade does happen between the Packers and Jets for Rodgers, it will be fascinating to see what the compensation is.

Can Gutekunst convince the Jets to send a first-round pick? And would that first-rounder come this year or next? If it’s next year, it likely would be in the 20s or lower rather than 13th. But maybe that’s a fair compromise.

We’ll see. But it’s far from guaranteed that the Packers will be able to get a first-round pick in this deal.