The Green Bay Packers are in Year Two of the Jordan Love era, following 30 years of bonified Hall of Fame play at quarterback by Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers. As was the case when the Packers moved on from Favre to Rodgers, many fans and analysts, both nationally and locally, criticized the organization for moving on from a surefire Hall of Famer.
And as was the case before, Green Bay continues to be proven right. Rodgers, of course, went on to win four NFL MVP Awards and helped lead the Packers to victory in Super Bowl XLV while Favre was out of the league within three years.
Now, the Packers are 7-3 and vying for their second consecutive postseason berth while Rodgers and the New York Jets have sputtered into contention for a top-five pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Green Bay Packers GM Brian Gutekunst Was Heavily Criticized Following the Aaron Rodgers Trade to the Jets
Rodgers, of course, was a very popular player among Packers fans despite his poor (by his standards) 2022 season. As many are well aware now, Rodgers “ignored” phone calls from Gutekunst during the offseason. Later, he said that he had poor reception and that the Packers should have Face Timed him if they really wanted to talk.
In any case, the two sides did not connect and, while Rodgers was in the midst of his darkness retreat, Green Bay decided to make him available via trade.
Of course, they ended up sending the future Pro Football Hall of Famer to the Jets in exchange for a first round pick swap, a second-round pick in 2023, and a conditional 2924 draft pick.
At the time of the trade, Gutekunst was heavily criticized by the media, especially by Pat McAfee, who is a friend of Rodgers’, who insinuated that the Packers general manager was not really all that smart while Joe Douglas, the general manager of the Jets, was a bonified genius.
Now, over a year and a half later, it appears that Gutekunst was right all along.
The New York Jets Have Fired Joe Douglas, the GM Who Acquired Aaron Rodgers from the Green Bay Packers
Of course, the Rodgers trade has been a disaster for the Jets. The four-time NFL MVP missed virtually all of the 2023 season with a torn Achilles. This year, New York has started 3-7 despite having what owner Woody Johnson called the most talented roster the Jets have had in a long time.
Earlier this season, after starting 2-3, New York fired head coach Robert Saleh, who has since joined Matt LaFleur’s staff as an advisor. Despite trading for Davante Adams, demoting Nathaniel Hackett, and getting Haason Reddick to end his holdout, New York has not improved.
On Tuesday, Johnson decided to fire his general manager, who was in the last year of his contract anyway:
— New York Jets (@nyjets) November 19, 2024
Many Packers fans were upset with the front office for not listening to Rodgers more during his time in Green Bay. Well, Douglas listened to Rodgers a great deal and got players that the future Hall of Famer wanted to play with.
And it cost him his job.
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