No more drama. It is the title of a 2001 song by the queen of Hip Hop Soul, Ms. Mary J Blige. In the song, the songstress details the struggles, heartbreak, and peace that results from ending a broken long-term relationship. It feels that the Packers, the Jets, football analysts, and fans worldwide are singing this song today. Why? For a month, we were hostages to the drama of Aaron Rodgers trade talks. It felt that both parties would not budge on the compensation, and it felt that this could potentially drag into training camp.
Thankfully, we were spared from another episode of this soap opera when we received the breaking news yesterday that the teams had agreed on a deal to trade the 4-time MVP winner. The Jets will receive Rodgers, the Packers’ 2023 first-round pick (No. 15) and a 2023 fifth-round pick (No. 170), and will give up in return their 2023 first-round pick (No. 13), a 2023 second-round pick (No. 42), a 2023 sixth-round pick (No. 207) and a conditional 2024 second-round pick that becomes a first if Rodgers plays 65% of the plays this season. On paper, the trade seems fair for both parties, and the winner is to be determined as things play out and these future picks prove their worth. However, the immediate reaction is that this trade makes the Jets a Super Bowl contender. In this article, we examine the top 3 reasons why it elevates Gang Green into the conversation.
1. Filling the void at quarterback- the Jets’ void at the most important position spans almost their entire existence. The team has failed to have a player get an MVP vote since Joe Namath in 1972 when the 29-year-old Joe Namath led the league in passing yards and touchdowns as the centerpiece of the NFL’s second-best scoring offense. In the past twenty years, the list of notable quarterbacks includes Vinny Testaverde, Chad Pennington, Brett Favre, Mark Sanchez, Geno Smith, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Sam Darnold, and Zach Wilson. Intriguingly, Favre stands out as the best player on this list, but he was 40 years old after tearing his biceps in his throwing hand, and the stint lasted only one season. Zach Wilson was the quarterback last season, and his play was so bad that the Jets had to go in a different direction after selecting him as the 2nd pick in the 2021 draft. Wilson had a 1-5 record with six touchdowns and seven interceptions. The Jets were 7-4 after November 27 victory over the Chicago Bears. However, woeful quarterback play caused the team to end the season on a 6-game losing streak. Just imagine Aaron Rodgers was at the helm, would the Jets fall into an abyss? I doubt it. Rodgers immediately becomes the franchise’s best quarterback and a contender for the Super Bowl.
2. Familiarity and Young talent on offense- one of the best ways for a quarterback to succeed is to be in a system that the player is familiar with and has enjoyed success. The Jets got on Rodger’s radar when they hired offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. Rodgers worked with Hackett for three years in Green Bay from 2019 to 2021. During this stint, Rodgers won two regular-season MVP awards, and it is no coincidence that Aaron Rodgers’ performance dipped last season when Hackett moved to the Denver Broncos. Aaron has previously praised Hackett for the way he teaches the game and brings energy to the field. The presence of Hackett moved the Jets ahead of the pack in landing Rodgers. The Jets’ offensive roster also contains a lot of potential playmakers to take the team to the next level. The wide receiver depth chart includes Garrett Wilson, Corey Davis, Allen Lazard, and Mecole Hardman. Wilson hauled in 83 passes for 1,103 yards, four touchdowns, and won the Offensive Rookie of the Year. Davis is a savvy receiver but has underachieved with the Jets in the past two years, and Hardman will move from winning it all with Patrick Mahomes to catching passes from Rodgers. Not bad right? The signing of Lazard brings familiarity because, in 2022, he was the Packers’ top receiver with 60 catches and 788 yards. At running back, the Packers will hope Breece Hall can be productive after returning from an ACL injury. They may look to improve at the Tight end spot but have a service player in Tyler Conklin. The offensive pieces are in place for Rodgers to turn this team into contenders.
3. Top 5 Defense-the Jets are Super Bowl contenders because they may have the best defensive unit among the contenders in the AFC. The Jets will benefit from the return of their key contributors from this unit. The defense is also young because their best players are on their rookie deals or just beyond it. Sauce Gardner was the defensive rookie of the year, and there is the possibility that he takes the next step toward being one of the best defenders in the league. A young defensive end in Jermaine Johnson has the potential to leap into stardom. Also, it will help this unit by playing with a lead, forcing more turnovers, and having the opposition come from behind. In the 2022 season, the defense did not allow more than 20 points in 4 of the six games during the infamous losing streak, and none scored more than 27 points. The defense held up their end of the bargain, and this defense has the potential to be even better because head coach Robert Saleh is a defensive guru. Can you imagine the Jets in Super Bowl LVIII? Let us not get ahead of ourselves, the pieces to have it on the field, but they are in the conversation in 2023.