March 15, oh how we laughed. The infamous day when Aaron Rodgers stated his wish to join the New York Jets on “The Pat McAfee Show.” What a silly goose he was. And yet, here we are, mid-April, the NFL Draft just a week away, and Rodgers is still donning that lovely green and yellow Packers uniform.
Not much has transpired between these two teams that have been at the forefront of off-season headlines, all for something that hasn’t even come to fruition yet. In the Jets’ corner, a few veteran signings for cheap. The Packers have focused mainly on resigning their special team players. Meanwhile, the two general managers Joe Douglas (Jets) and Brian Gutekunst (Packers) are battling it out in a game of chicken, waiting for one to give in to the other’s demands. Until the Jets provide some security in case Rodgers bows out after just one season, the Packers look like they might be playing hard to get. As it currently stands, a deal doesn’t seem to be in the immediate future.
The most exciting thing to happen on this front recently was Douglas’ rather unorthodox appearance at a WFAN event in New Jersey. It was there that, after Boomer Esiason’s prompting, he declared with great gusto that Rodgers is “gonna be here” before proceeding to pour an entire vat of ranch dressing on a radio host. How fabulous! If Douglas does finally manage to make the trade happen I, for one, would welcome him to dump ranch dressing on me too. It’s a feeling greater than that of winning the lottery!
The big question on everyone’s minds, when is this trade going to happen? Nobody seems to know, not even the teams involved. It’s a mystery that would make Sherlock Holmes blush! That said, it feels like a good time to run through when this could all finally materialize, from the soonest date range to the longest shot of them all:
1. The moment you finish reading this article. Let’s put it out there in the universe folks, together we can make it happen!
2. Between now and April 26. Let’s be honest, it seems like neither team is in that much of a hurry. We may have to wait until closer to the draft before anything shakes out. Perhaps Gutekunst will be more motivated to get something done to aid the Packers with proper draft preparation and acquire more picks, given they already have 10, and will likely have even more after the trade.
3. April 27 (Day 1 of NFL Draft) Gutekunst has publically admitted that Rodgers coming to the Packetes doesn’t necessarily require the Jets’ first-round pick (13th overall). Since Day 1 of the draft is only round 1, both teams can afford to wait. It would mean a substantial amount of planning for the following days; thus, it would be better for both teams to have an idea of their draft picks, unless they want to fly by the seat of their pants!
4. April 28 (Day 2 of NFL Draft) 7 p.m. EST is when the second round is scheduled to commence. As a result, Douglas and Gutekunst have until the second round’s beginning to come to terms on the trade. It’s crucial since the Jets have two consecutive second-round picks (Nos. 42 and 43) after trading Elijah Moore to the Browns. If they don’t seal the deal by then, it’s likely nothing concrete will happen until much later.
5. April 29 (Day 3 of NFL Draft) This one feels like a bit of a farce. The Packers might consider taking a fourth, fifth, or sixth-round pick from the Jets, but the team has a more significant interest in future players or picks.
6. In late May. (for OTAs and/or minicamp) The Jets have planned voluntary OTAs for May 22 and mandatory minicamp for June 13-15. There’s no news on whether Rodgers was planning on joining the team during the voluntary portion. At the end of the day, though, it’s not looking like the Packers will be mending any fences with another team whose quarterback will be winning numerous MVP awards for years to come!
7. In early June. It’s all about the Benjamins, baby! If the Packers trade Rodgers before June 1, they’ll incur a $40.3 million dead cap hit. They’re willing to suck it up if Gutekunst gets the compensation he wants in return. However, if nothing happens by June 1, don’t expect a trade till much later.
8. In mid-July (for the start of training camp) The details have yet to be formalized, but the Jets and Browns will be starting their training camp earlier than other teams this year since they’re playing each other in the Hall of Fame Game on August 3. As a result, the Jets camp is expected to commence around July 17. Perhaps Rodgers showing up to Packers camp might light a fire under the teams to make a deal quicker? Let’s hope he packs some sunscreen and a large hat!
9. August 3 (or August 7)
The Jets acquired 39-year-old Packers quarterback Brett Favre from Green Bay back in 2008. Coincidentally, that same day the Jets were set to play the Browns, in Cleveland, for their preseason opener. So, the Jets immediately flew Favre to Ohio, and he conducted his introductory news conference in a small room at the Browns’ stadium. This year the Jets and Browns will face-off again on August 3. Could they make a similar, but surely less awkward move twice? Let’s see!
10. September or later, well, let’s just hope it doesn’t come to that, shall we? Nobody wants to witness a prolonged break-up, and this one already feels like it’s been dragging on for aeons.
11. Never. Oh, what a bummer, we’ve made it all the way to number 11. Let’s just hope that isn’t the case!
Serious News: nytimes
