NFL trade regrade: Aaron Rodgers makes Brian Gutekunst look like executive of the year
By Lior Lampert
Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets won't be leaving their Week 5 trip across the pond satisfied. Frankly, that's been a recurring theme for Gang Green — they aren't living up to the lofty internal and external expectations.
When the Jets acquired Rodgers in April 2023, he was viewed as the franchise savior and missing piece to a Super Bowl-contending roster. Alas, that hasn't come to fruition, and Week 5 was a brutal reminder of how short of expectations this team has fallen thus far.
Meanwhile, the Green Bay Packers and general manager Brian Gutekunst put themselves in a much better position for sustained long-term success because of the swap. The organization transitioned from Rodgers to a talented young quarterback in Jordan Love and gained several valuable assets/players.
With the benefit of hindsight, let's look back at the trade at sent Rodgers to New York last offseason and see how both sides fared.
NFL trade regrade: Aaron Rodgers-Jets trade package details
A year after the transaction, we finally got the full results of Green Bay's incoming package for Rodgers. Here's how the haul shook out:
- 2023 First-Round Pick (No. 13 Overall): Lukas Van Ness, LB
- 2023 Second-Round Pick (No. 42 Overall): Luke Musgrave, TE
- 2023 Sixth-Round pick (No. 207): Anders Carlson, K
- 2024 Second-Round Pick (No. 45 Overall): Edgerrin Cooper, LB
- 2024 Fifth-Round Pick (No. 163 Overall): Jacob Monk, OL*
- 2024 Fourth-Round Pick (No. 111 Overall): Evan Williams, DB*
Packers used draft picks from the Jets and additional assets to trade up/down for selections with asterisks
The Packers got a considerable injection of youth by sending out Rodgers. They landed two highly touted linebacker prospects in Lukas Van Ness and Edgerrin Cooper. Moreover, Luke Musgrave is an intriguing tight end, thanks to his unique blend of size, speed and athleticism.
But most importantly, the decision to part ways with Rodgers cleared the runway for Love under center. The latter has quickly proven himself as one of the best passers in football.
New York lost 23-17 in the league's London Games at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to the Minnesota Vikings, dropping to 2-3. The Jets' defense held up their end of the bargain for the most part, generating pressure and turnovers. Rodgers and the offense were the inferior, stagnant unit.
Rodgers has posted consecutive poor outings and has arguably been at the forefront of New York's skid. Turning 41 in December and coming off a torn Achilles injury, his struggles are noteworthy. It makes you wonder if Father Time is catching up to the four-time NFL MVP. Moreover, the blockbuster deal the Jets had to pull off to get him continues to age poorly for them.
Alternatively, the future looks bright for Gutekunst, Love and the Packers. If things don't change (soon) for the Jets, this could be one of the more disappointing/lopsided trades in recent memory.
Still, if you're New York, you do this deal again knowing how bad the quarterback situation was pre-Rodgers. However, you don't feel as good about it as you once did.
New York Jets trade regrade: B-
Green Bay Packers trade regrade: A
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