NFL rumors: Insider reveals 1 line Jets won’t cross for Aaron Rodgers

The New York Jets need to be somewhat careful with their approach to a sure-to-happen Aaron Rodgers trade.

At this point, the NFL rumors cycle has made it clear that there is a general expectation that Aaron Rodgers will suit up for the New York Jets next year via a trade away from the Green Bay Packers. Both sides believe that, and it seems as if the rest of the NFL world does, too.

But yet, a trade has yet to go through, despite Rodgers confirming he expects to play in New York weeks ago.

At this point, there is motivation — from the Jets, Packers, and Rodgers himself — to get a deal done and the only reason it remains incomplete is the precise compensation. And the Jets seem unwilling to budge on one big piece right now.

Jets aren’t going to give a high first-round pick up in Aaron Rodgers trade

According to Ian Rapoport, who appeared on the Pat McAfee show, the Jets aren’t including the 13th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. He indicated they never considered including that pick in the first place.

Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano also gave several nuggets on the topic. Graziano suggested the Packers are not demanding that 13th overall pick, for starters, so it’s unlikely to be a major sticking point unless the Jets also deem other assets untouchable.

Beyond that, Fowler indicated that the Packers are moving gently because, while they want compensation that reflects the stature of a player as important as Rodgers, they also don’t want to burn bridges with him as a result of this fiasco. That could have implications for how agents of other high-profile players view the team.

The Jets, on the other hand, are reportedly hesitant to give up too much simply because they don’t know how much time they’ll have Rodgers for, according to Graziano. It could be just a year. They don’t want to, and should not, mortgage their future to rent a quarterback, even if that quarterback is a multi-year MVP winner.