The Jets didn’t want to end up like the Broncos in their pursuit of a new star quarterback.
While negotiating with the Packers before Monday’s blockbuster trade for Aaron Rodgers, higher-ups in the Jets organization — above GM Joe Douglas — were reportedly hesitant throughout the process for fear they would give up draft capital for a veteran QB with no safety net in place for the future.
“The Jets wanted conditions to protect themselves from being this year’s version of the Broncos (who wound up surrendering this year’s fifth pick in the Russell Wilson trade), and from Rodgers playing a single year and retiring,” Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer wrote on Monday after the deal was made public.
The Broncos gave up two first-round picks to Seattle in the deal for Wilson last year, and Wilson had an abysmal season for Denver that saw first-year head coach Nathaniel Hackett — now the Jets’ offensive coordinator who worked with Rodgers in Green Bay — get fired after 15 games.
Wilson, the 34-year-old nine-time Pro Bowler, threw for 3,524 yards, 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while completing a career-low 60.5 percent of his passes.
Douglas and Packers GM Brian Gutekunst reportedly had come up with multiple trade scenarios coming out of the NFL owners meetings [from March 26-28] — with Green Bay even presenting New York with a number of “acceptable” trades.
At that point, the outlet reported the Jets had concerns that prevented negotiations from moving forward — and that the Packers wanted a hard first-round pick as part of the deal.
On April 11, ESPN’s Adam Schefter said on “NFL Live” that trade talks had stalled in recent weeks.
A separate report by Yahoo Sports said Jets owner Woody Johnson was hung up on receiving a first-round pick from the Packers, especially after Rodgers told Pat McAfee he was “90 percent” leaning toward retirement when he entered his darkness retreat in February.
Prior to the deal getting done, The Post’s Brian Costello reported the sticking point in the negotiations was the Packers’ demand that the Jets include their 2024 first-round pick in any deal.
Aaron Rodgers traded to the Jets
On Monday, after months of speculation and rumors, the Jets and Packers came to an agreement on a trade that brings four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers to New York.
The trade immediately upgrades the Jets from rising team to playoff contender with the hopes that Rodgers will help break one of the longest active postseason droughts in sports.
The trade
The Jets receive: Aaron Rodgers, No. 15 pick (2023) and No. 170 pick (2023).
The Packers receive: No. 13 pick (2023), No. 42 pick (2023), No. 207 pick (2023) and a conditional second-round 2024 draft pick that conveys to a first-rounder if Rodgers plays 65% of the Jets’ plays in 2023.
What comes next
The trade still needs to be finalized — the terms of Rodgers’ contract need to be worked out — and sent to the NFL.
Both teams will begin feeling this deal as early as Thursday at the 2023 NFL Draft.
For the Packers, it’s now about getting fourth-year QB Jordan Love ready to take over. With Gang Green, it’s about getting a whole host of new faces on the same page offensively.
However, the Jets did not want to exchange an unconditional 2024 first-round pick for a player who will turn 40 on Dec. 2, and who may not play for New York in 2024.
Instead, the Jets’ preference was to send Green Bay a conditional 2024 pick — a second-day pick that can become a first-round choice if certain conditions are met.
Finally, the deal was done on Monday.
Follow The Post’s coverage of Aaron Rodgers being traded to the Jets
- Exclusive photos: Aaron Rodgers arrives in New Jersey in Jets gear
- Serby: Aaron Rodgers changes everything for Jets
- Meet Aaron Rodgers’ rumored girlfriend
- Jets GM: Trade is ‘historic’ for franchise
The Jets got their veteran quarterback in Rodgers, the 15th overall pick in the 2023 draft, and a fifth-round pick (No. 170 overall).
Green Bay in return got the 13th overall pick in the 2023 draft, a second-round pick (No. 42 overall) and a sixth-round pick (No. 207 overall), and a second-round pick in 2024 that becomes a first if Rodgers plays 65 percent of the plays in 2023.
The trade won’t be official until a reworked contract for Rodgers is finalized.
The four-time MVP is reportedly scheduled to arrive in New Jersey Tuesday night.
Rodgers spent a week at a spiritual healing center in Costa Rica before officially becoming a Jet on Monday.
