"That would spur a trade" - NFL Insider hints at Aaron Rodgers taking Brett Favre route to make Jets trade happen

As the 2023 NFL Draft nears, Aaron Rodgers is still under contract with the Green Bay Packers. It’s an awkward situation, considering he has already declared his intention to play for the New York Jets.

However, Packers insider Rob Demovsky opened the idea of Rodgers imitating his predecessor, Brett Favre, into forcing a trade.

On his eponymous podcast, host Rich Eisen asked Demovsky if there was any chance that Aaron Rodgers would show up during the Packers’ offseason workouts. Eisen shared a graphic based on Demovsky’s tweet that Rodgers could earn $50,000 for participating in the program. ESPN’s NFL Nation reporter for the Packers said:

“That would spur a trade. I mean, do you remember back in '08 what actually spurred the Favre trade to happen? He flew into Green Bay, landed at Austin Straubel International Airport.”

“He arrives literally as the Packers are going through their family night scrimmages that they hold at Lambeau Field, the one practice every year that they practice in the stadium, and there's like 70,000 people that pay to watch a practice.”

“He lands that night in Green Bay. And that essentially forced the Packers hand, like he showed up, said, Look, I'm under contract. I'm unretired, play me. That certainly would be one strategy that Rogers and his agent Dave Dunn could try. I don't think it will happen, though.”

Brett Favre played one season for the Jets, leading them to a 9-7 record. He finished the year with 3,472 passing yards, 22 touchdowns, and 22 interceptions. He joined the Minnesota Vikings the following season and retired in 2010.

Meanwhile, Aaron Rodgers signed a three-year, $150.815 million restructured contract with the Packers last offseason. He has a cap hit of $31.6 million for the 2023 NFL season. That number includes a $1.165 million base salary, a $12.9 million pro-rated signing bonus, and a $14.5 million pro-rated option bonus.

Demovsky gave insider information regarding the negotiations for the Aaron Rodgers trade

The Packers and the Jets are still at an impasse regarding Aaron Rodgers. Even Demovsky isn’t sure which side has the edge, saying:

“From what I was told back at the owner's meetings in Phoenix, so was that about a week or ten days ago, whatever it was, that the Packers had essentially put together, you know, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, however many offers and presented them to the Jets. And that's the last I've heard of what's happened.”

“Now, if you ask the Jets, they'll probably tell you that they told the Packers, 'this is what we want,' and you meet our demands. So, it's so hard to tell, and that's why we really don't know, Rich, who actually has the leverage in this situation.”

“I mean, you can make cases for the reasons the Packers do, the reasons that the Jets do. It depends on your perspective. I really believe it's hard to tell who exactly is driving this."

Reports reveal that the Packers are demanding a first-round pick, given that they will lose a franchise cornerstone and a four-time NFL MVP. Meanwhile, the Jets are hoping to give away only a second-round selection at best.

Eisen pointed out that the Jets may agree to trade a first-round pick if there’s an assurance that Aaron Rodgers will play beyond 2023. Otherwise, he will become an expensive $58.3 million one-year rental after declining his 2023 option, based on his contract's terms.

But Demovsky was quick to express his rebuttal by saying:

“That’s a great point, but here’s the thing. Rodgers is never going to be able to, at least I think, is ever going to tell anybody, ‘I’m going to play X number of years. Yes, I’ll play this year and next year.’ I just don’t think he’s at the point of his career or in his life where he is willing to operate on more than a one-year basis.”

Still, experts predict that the Aaron Rodgers trade will finally materialize around the 2023 NFL Draft, which starts on April 27. The timing will give the five-time All-Pro enough time to get acquainted with his new teammates.