NFL

Why Jets owner Woody Johnson might have held up Aaron Rodgers trade

By
Ryan Glasspiegel
Published April 13, 2023
Updated April 14, 2023, 1:14 p.m. ET

As the Jets’ trade for Aaron Rodgers continues to be in a holding pattern, various theories are making the rounds about what the holdup might be.

Yahoo Sports NFL insider Charles Robinson joined “Wilde & Tausch” on ESPN Milwaukee on Tuesday and spoke about a hang-up involving Jets owner Woody Johnson after Rodgers told Pat McAfee that he was “90 percent” leaning toward retirement when he entered his darkness retreat.

“It’s at a ridiculous standstill … depending on what your vantage point is right now,” Robinson said on the program, according to Sports Illustrated.

“The Packers are holding out for what they want right now and that’s a problem I think with the Jets and more specifically with Jets ownership. So where it is, Green Bay is stuck on an asking price of a two [second-round draft pick] this year, a straight-shot one [first-round pick] next year, so no graduation schedule attached to it, and they would be willing to do the 2025…some sort of a draft asset give-back if for some reason Aaron Rodgers doesn’t play in ’24.

Jets owner Woody Johnson was reportedly concerned about the Jets getting stuck owing the Packers a top pick if Aaron Rodgers retires.
Jets owner Woody Johnson was reportedly concerned about the Jets getting stuck owing the Packers a top pick if Aaron Rodgers retires. Getty Images

“And the Jets, and Woody Johnson specifically, are just not going to do it. That’s why this is sort of sitting where it is.”

Last Friday, Jets general manager Joe Douglas told an audience at a WFAN event for Boomer Esiason and Gregg Giannotti that Rodgers would be a Jet.

Meanwhile, Packers president Mark Murphy declined to elaborate on trade talks on Tuesday before embarking on the team’s annual bus tour.

During the radio spot in Wisconsin, Robinson continued to explain the stalemate.

Aaron Rodgers told Pat McAfee that he was 90 percent leaning towards retirement before he went on his darkness retreat.
Aaron Rodgers told Pat McAfee that he was 90 percent leaning towards retirement before he went on his darkness retreat. Getty Images

“And I guess…if we’re going to do the whole thing of ‘Whose court is the ball in?’ I guess it’s in the Jets’ court, but the problem with that is that for the Jets it’s at a standstill,” Robinson continued.

“They’re saying no we’re not doing the straight-shot one. And I think what [Jets owner] Woody Johnson’s problem is with this is that he looks at Denver and all the assets Denver gave up [for Russell Wilson] … now Seattle is sitting on Denver’s pick at No. 5 because that crashed and burned. I think some of it is the Matt Stafford thing, and now he has a balky elbow … and now Detroit is sitting at six. …

“They sort of had trade parameters worked out, and then when Aaron went on [The Pat McAfee Show] and said ‘I’m 90% retired’ or ‘I was 90% retired when I went into the darkness retreat,’ I think it scared Woody.”

The deal is still expected to get done, but when that happens and the precise terms of the trade remain to be seen.

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