Aaron Rodgers is about to get traded to the New York Jets. The Green Bay Packers have been working with the Jets for nearly a month now in order to finalize a trade. It was recently reported that one major aspect of the trade has now been agreed upon by the two organizations.
Contract Reportedly Worked Out Between Packers And Jets
According to Adam Wells of Bleacher Report:
The Green Bay Packers and New York Jets are still negotiating over full terms of a potential Aaron Rodgers trade, but one of the biggest obstacles standing in the way of a deal appears to be mostly settled.
Per ESPN’s Dan Graziano, most of the trade details “remains done” and the “belief is that both sides have worked on” the $58.3 million option bonus in Rodgers’ contract to make his salary fit into New York’s cap for the 2023 season.
The three-year, $150.8 million contract extension Rodgers signed with the Packers in March 2022 did build in a protection for both parties if either side wanted to move on. The option bonus must be picked up any time between now and the start of the 2023 regular season.
A lot of NFL contracts will include language that guarantees a player money by a certain date if they are still on the roster. This is why the Las Vegas Raiders had to release Derek Carr before Feb. 15, when the remaining $40.4 million in guarantees on his deal kicked in.
By extending the deadline on Rodgers’ option bonus to Week 1, the Packers gave themselves an extended window to negotiate a potential trade. It also gave Rodgers the assurance he would be paid that money as long as he was still playing in the NFL.
As things stand, the Jets only have $9.9 million in available cap space.
Per Paul Bretl of PackersWire.com, New York will only have to absorb $15.79 million against the cap if it acquires Rodgers. But the option bonus means the team would be paying him close to $60 million in cash just for the 2023 season.
Many figured the contact situation would be the most difficult part to navigate between the two teams. Aaron Rodgers massive three-year $150 million extension that he signed on March 8th, 2022 certainly through a wrench into any trade talks. However, with that aspect of the trade already figured out, the only thing left is the draft/player compensation in the trade. The compensation the Jets recently received in their Elijah Moore trade could end up going to Green Bay. Currently the Jets have three picks in the first two rounds:
- Round 1, Pick 13
- Round 2, Pick 42 (From CLV)
- Round 2, Pick 43
It is possible New York made the move in an attempt to amass the draft capital needed to secure Aaron Rodgers.
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