GREEN BAY, Wis. — ESPN was the first to report that the Green Bay Packers and New York Jets had agreed to terms on a trade for Aaron Rodgers.
The Jets will get Rodgers and a fifth round draft pick. The teams will flip first-round picks Thursday night. The Packers will now pick 13th and the Jets 15th.
The Packers will also get a second-round pick from the Jets this year, 42nd overall, a sixth-round pick and a conditional second-round pick from the Jets next year that could become a first rounder if Rodgers plays 65% or more of the Jets’ snaps this year.
Packers General Manager Brian Gutekunst was scheduled to talk to reporters Monday afternoon to preview the draft. The Rodgers trade story broke before then. Gutekunst declined to say the deal was done, but he did talk about Rodgers.
“I have so much respect for Aaron,” said Gutekunst. “Not only the person, but the player that he is. There’s so much gratitude in what he’s done for this organization. It would probably hit me a little bit at some other juncture, when I don’t have a lot on my plate.”
“I know this — he’ll always be a Packer,” Gutekunst added. “He’ll be one of the best to ever have done it around here. I have a lot of respect how he went about it. He’ll be missed. There’s no doubt about it. Players like that don’t come around very often. But at the same time, we’re really excited where we’re headed and what we’re moving to do. I wish him nothing but the best.”
With the trade of Rodgers, Jordan Love becomes the Packers starting quarterback.
“We’re really excited where Jordan can go,” said Gutekunst. “He needs to play. Having him sit another year would have really delayed where we’re going, what we’re trying to build. Last year, I really thought through practice, there were a number of times through Aaron’s injuries, he had to take over the ones during practice. Some of the competitive areas. I think you saw him start to grow and grow and grow. He didn’t get nearly as many opportunities as we would have liked last season during games, but when he did, he certainly answered the bell. I think we started to see him grow into that role.”
Gutekunst was asked if it was risky to trade Rodgers and go with the young quarterback.
“There’s risk in the National Football League,” said Gutekunst. “I mean, we were 8-9 last year. We’re trying to get better, so I think that’s important.”
Now, Gutekunst can focus entirely on the NFL Draft, which begins Thursday night.