The New York Jets have been struggling for a long time to find a solution at quarterback.
Over the years, they’ve invested several high draft picks in players like Mark Sanchez, Sam Darnold, and Zach Wilson, but none of these investments have worked out. Hoping to break the cycle, the team traded for future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers in the 2023 offseason.
The acquisition of Rodgers from the Green Bay Packers generated significant excitement and optimism around the team, something they hadn’t felt in a while. However, things have not gone as expected, leading ESPN’s Bill Barnwell to criticize the trade.
In a recent article, Barnwell ranked the worst decisions made by NFL teams since 2020. With numerous notable mistakes to choose from, some could point to the Jets’ selection of Wilson over stars like Ja’Marr Chase, Penei Sewell, Pat Surtain, DeVonta Smith, and Micah Parsons. Others might highlight the team’s offseason trade for Haason Reddick.
But the trade for Rodgers was Barnwell’s pick for No. 3 on his list of worst mistakes. Only the Denver Broncos’ deal for Russell Wilson and the Cleveland Browns’ trade for Deshaun Watson, which included a fully guaranteed contract, were deemed worse.
“The Rodgers trade stands head and shoulders above the rest because it came with so much baggage,” Barnwell wrote. “Trading for him made the Jets hire Nathaniel Hackett as offensive coordinator. It led them to sign Randall Cobb and Allen Lazard as free agents and bring on Tim Boyle as a backup quarterback. The trade for Davante Adams wouldn’t have happened if the Jets weren’t doing whatever they could to try to kick-start a moribund offense with Rodgers’ old friend from Green Bay.”
While the Jets have certainly made worse moves on their own, the full scope of the Rodgers deal—along with all the decisions made to accommodate him—makes the situation particularly problematic.
The Jets were fortunate that the trade didn’t cost them another first-round pick. The only reason they have Olu Fashanu on their roster is that Rodgers’ Achilles injury prevented the trade’s second-round pick from converting into a first-rounder, as it failed to meet the necessary performance benchmarks.
When a franchise is as desperate as the Jets to achieve success, they often make impulsive decisions, such as trading for a 39-year-old quarterback coming off a mediocre 2022 season.
While Rodgers has started to show some improvement in recent weeks, playing better and connecting well with Davante Adams, it has come too late. The Jets were eliminated from playoff contention weeks ago, marking their 14th consecutive season without a postseason appearance and their ninth straight losing campaign.
What’s most surprising is that, despite Rodgers being at the helm, the Jets have posted a worse winning percentage than they did with Wilson.
