Why did Aaron Rodgers leave Green Bay and go to Jets? 4x MVP's move to New York explained

On the season debut of Monday Night Football, Aaron Rodgers played in his second game as a New York Jets just two days shy of his disastrous debut that ended within minutes after he suffered a season-ending Achilles injury. The four-time MVP is keen on making amends this season and helping the franchise justify their decision to trade for a 39-year-old quarterback.

Rodgers spent 18 years with the Green Bay Packers and had already compiled a Hall of Fame resume. However, the tail-end of his time in Minneapolis was marred with controversy and discontentment, which led to his eventual exit from the franchise.

After losing to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Championship Game in 2021, the quarterback made it known that he wasn't willing to be a part of a rebuild and wanted to compete for a Super Bowl. The then-reigning MVP requested a trade on draft day, but Green Bay refused to entertain it.

Rodgers was already miffed about the team drafting his successor, Jordan Love, in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft instead of adding a weapon for him for the upcoming season. He turned down a contract extension offer and was away from the team for the entire offseason as he remained adamant about wanting to leave the team.

The Packers convinced him to return for another season and voided the 2023 season from his existing contract. Rodgers returned and aired his grievances in an explosive press conference before leading the franchise to a 13-4 season and winning his second straight MVP award.

However, the team suffered playoff heartbreak as they lost 13-10 to the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round.

Aaron Rodgers exit from Packers: A disastrous 2022 season marked the beginning of the end

In the 2022 offseason, Rodgers, who had only one year left on his deal, surprisingly signed a three-year, $150 million contract extension with the Packers. He was seemingly content with the team's assurances and committed his future to the franchise.

However, only three days after announcing the extension, Green Bay traded wide receiver Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders. Around six weeks later, Rodgers told Pat McAfee that he wasn't expecting to lose his top target.

"It was a little surprising with Davante -- obviously when I made my decision, I was still thinking he was going to come back... I felt like he was going to be back, didn't obviously turn out that way." - Rodgers on the Pat McAfee Show in April 2022.

The wide receiver's exit had a damning effect on the Packers offense. He finished the year with only 3695 yards and 26 touchdowns with 12 interceptions, the second-most he had tossed in a season. Green Bay finished 8-9 and missed the playoffs.

The disastrous 2022 season after back-to-back MVP-winning campaigns was the final straw for Rodgers. He informed the team that he wished to be traded to the Jets to reunite with their new offensive coordinator, Nathaniel Hackett. He worked for the Packers from 2019 to 2021 and was critical in helping the quarterback add two more MVP awards to his trophy cabinet.

Rodgers also shut the door on a potential reconciliation and told Green Bay, and by extension the rest of the league, that he'd retire if they didn't fulfill his wish to play for the Jets. After a lengthy negotiation process, the Packers traded him to his destination of choice in April 2023, ending his 18-year association with the franchise.

Rodgers' debut season with the Jets ended within minutes, while the Packers finished 9-8 and humiliated the Dallas Cowboys in the Wild Card round of the playoffs before losing to the 49ers in the divisional round.

Jordan Love impressed in his first year as the starter and signed a four-year, $220 million extension with the Packers in the offseason. Green Bay's succession plan worked to perfection again. Ironically, it was the same strategy they deployed when Rodgers replaced Favre as the starter.

The quarterback and his former employers are content with their current situation. However, they'll always look back at their time together and wonder how they managed to make the Super Bowl only once.