It was sour ending between the Green Bay Packers and Aaron Rodgers at the end of his time in Green Bay. Once the Packers decided to trade up in the 2020 NFL Draft to select Jordan Love, the writing was on the wall that Rodgers’ time in Green Bay was coming to an end fast.
However, Rodgers threw a huge wrench into Green Bay’s plans when he went on to win back-to-back MVP awards in 2020 and 2021. Clearly, it would have been foolish for the Packers to move on from Rodgers at that time. However, after the 2023 season and having to put up with Rodgers’ non-committment attitude with the Packers, Green Bay finally decided to trade Rodgers to the New York Jets in 2024.
The breakup finally happened and now it was time for the Packers to focus on Jordan Love and his development as the potential future of the Packers. Up to this point, Green Bay got the Love pick right and they have him for the future.
As for Rodgers, he was banking on this idea that him going to the Jets would be a huge upgrade for them (which sadly, it was at the time). The Jets were going from Zach Wilson to Aaron Rodgers, who wouldn’t think that wasn’t an upgrade? Well, the Jets were actually better off with Wilson in the end when you look back on the journey.
In 2023, Rodgers would play just four snaps before tearing his achilles in primetime in Week 1 against the Buffalo Bills. The Jets had no other choice but to go with Wilson, who was set to ride the bench the entire. Instead, he was the starter from there on out.
Fast forward to 2024, and the Jets were going all in on an older Rodgers who was coming off a severe injury and they ended up sending Zach Wilson to the Denver Broncos. The Jets were labeled as a team that would be contending for the AFC East, as the Bills had lost more than they gained last offseason. That couldn’t have been further from the truth.
Rodgers was just one-and-done with the Jets after a miserable 2024 season. The Jets finished 5-12 and even though Rodgers actually finished strong to end the season, the experiment was a complete disaster and Jets owner Woody Johnson even admitted it himself, according to NFL reporter Connor Hughes. “The experiment was a good experiment, to try and bring him in, but it didn’t work out” said Johnson according to Hughes.
Jets owner finally admits huge mistake on Aaron Rodgers experiment
The Jets were desperate to stay relevant, and who else better to keep them in the media than Rodgers? The Packers got ahead with the acquisition of Love in 2020 and even though they had to be patient, they came out as winners of the Rodgers-to-New York deal. While it was technically two years that Rodgers was in New York, he only delivered one season for them and it was completely laughable.
Now, the Jets are starting from scratch as they moved on from Aaron Rodgers and one of his good friends Davante Adams, who was traded to the Jets during the season last year. Green Bay completely fleeced the Jets with shipping them Rodgers and now they are starting at the bottom (once again).