An Aaron Rodgers trade may have to wait until the draft

Nearly a week after Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers stated on The Pat McAfee Show that his “intention is to play for the New York Jets,” it feels as though steam has been lost on a potential trade. While Rodgers will still likely be traded to the Jets eventually, all the talk about how a deal is right on the horizon has seemingly vanished.

During his interview with McAfee, Rodgers begged the organization not to dig their heels in the ground for trade compensation. Apparently, the Packers have done just that as they’ve reportedly asked for a 2023 first-round pick and a conditional 2024 conditional selection, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

On Monday, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport — himself on an appearance with McAfee — made the case that the ongoing trade drama around Rodgers could last for another month.

“I’m trying to look at where this goes. You know, deadlines are always what drives these things. There’s a real possibility that this rolls right up until the draft because that’s the only deadline. It’s about 2023 draft picks and when you actually have to use them is the deadline.”

If deadlines are what is going to decide when Rodgers will be moved, here is a list of key dates to keep track of:

• April 18th: The first day of the Jets’ offseason program
• April 27th: The first round of the 2023 NFL Draft
• May 5th: The first day of the Jets’ organized team activities (OTAs)
• June 1st: The day in which Rodgers’ dead cap in a trade splits between the 2023 and 2024 seasons
• June 16th: The first day of the Jets’ mandatory minicamp
• Late July (TBD): The start of the Jets’ mandatory training camp
• Early September (TBD): Week 1, which is when Rodgers’ option must be exercised

At Acme Packing Company, we’ve made the case that the Packers hold all the leverage in this negotiation as the Jets have close to zero options but to trade for Rodgers. At some point, though, someone is going to have to blink. The fact that there has been reportedly little movement over the last week means that it’s increasingly likely that one of the seven “deadline” dates could break the stalemate.