Aaron Rodgers’ trade to the Jets: How team’s trip to Malibu convinced QB to come to New York

The trade that brought Aaron Rodgers to the New York Jets has already resulted in a 400 percent spike in sales of season tickets and suites for the team, not to mention another $1 million in purchases of the team’s apparel. quarterback on the Fanatics website.

More importantly, the deal could well end with the Jets’ first Super Bowl title in 55 years, which is what the team buyers believed when they boarded a private jet in early March to visit Rodgers at his Malibu home.

As reported by the Brian Costello of the New York Post, the widely celebrated move began with that trip, which was supposed to be a sting operation until paparazzi picked up on the scent and set up camp outside the Rodgers house. Jets owner and former U.S. ambassador to Britain Woody Johnson, his brother Christopher, head coach Robert Saleh, general manager Joe Douglas and newly hired offensive coordinator Nathanial Hackett were eventually pictured leaving the residence.

A week later, Rodgers announced his intention to play for the Jets, and would be traded from the Green Bay Packers in late April in exchange for first- and fifth-round pick swaps in 2023, as well as a conditional first or second round harvest in 2024.

The following is the story of how Jets’ dream of acquiring a franchise quarterback became a reality:

After the team’s encouraging — and ultimately disappointing — 7-10 campaign, the Jets were faced with an overwhelming need for a quarterback.

Former second overall draft pick Zach Wilson had been struggling for the second straight season, and even given his tantalizing arm strength, the Jets buyer wanted to bring in a veteran.

As Costello reports, Johnson told his staff he would “definitely spend” on an elite quarterback, which he said was the team’s “missing piece.”

Among the other possibilities mentioned in the Post’s coverage were former Raiders quarterback Derek Carr, who eventually landed with the Saints, Giants quarterback Daniel Jones, who would re-sign with the team, and Jimmy Garoppolo of the 49ers, the one in Las Vegas.

But the Jets instead decided to turn their attention to acquiring Rodgers, who remained under contract at Green Bay after signing a four-year, $200 million contract extension with the Packers ahead of the 2022 campaign.

Douglas called Packers GM Brian Gutekunst to convey the Jets’ interest around the same time he hired Hackett – a former Green Bay assistant coach who had close ties to Rodgers.

In February, 39-year-old Rodgers went on his widely reported “darkness retreat” and spent several days secluded in a cabin in Southern Oregon.

As he revealed to YouTube host and former NFL punter Pat McAfee later in March, Rodgers entered the retreat with a view to retirement before considering a return with the Packers and a move to the Jets.

By then, the Packers had made it clear they were ready to leave Rodgers behind and begin a rebuilding process with younger players. As a result, Green Bay gave New York permission to talk to Rodgers before any transaction could be negotiated.

At the time, in early March, the Packers were hoping to get two first-round picks like the Seattle Seahawks for Russell Wilson and the Detroit Lions for Matthew Stafford in similar trades.

However, the Jets were not interested in sending two first-round picks to Green Bay for a player who could retire after just one season.

Anyway, Johnson & Co. still wanted to talk to Rodgers, which started with a few phone calls on March 6. Saleh then suggested to the rest of the Jets brass that they fly to Rodgers to show the four-time MVP how serious they were about acquiring him.

On Tuesday, Saleh, Douglas, team president Hymie Elhai and Hackett boarded a flight from New Jersey, while the Johnson brothers flew in separately from Florida (Woody) and Colorado (Christopher).

Instead of a firm pitch, the Jets arrived in Malibu intending to listen to Rodgers and his thoughts on the team.

“We had a nice conversation,” Rodgers later told reporters. “I told them, ‘Listen, I’m not ready to make up my mind about anything. I want to pick up my workouts again and see what it feels like to blast hard for a week and see if that drive and passion is still there.”

Rodgers had still not committed himself to the Jets on March 10, when he spoke to Douglas on the phone, but finally made up his mind on the night of March 12.

“Aaron is playing and he wants to be a New York Jet,” Rodgers’ agent David Dunn told Douglas.

Naturally, Douglas was thrilled when he told the Post that he muffled his cries of joy to avoid waking family members. He even started firing off text messages to Jets personnel until 4 a.m., hoping someone would be awake to share his excitement.

Later, Saleh poured some cold water on this moment by reminding Douglas that the Packers had yet to agree to a trade, but the Jets gained some clout days later when Rodgers told McAfee’s crowd that he wanted to play for New York.

“My intention is to play for the New York Jets,” Rodgers told McAfee.

Unfortunately for Rodgers and the Jets, the Packers were in no rush to make a deal.

The two sides spoke at the league meetings in Arizona later that month, when the Packers had lowered their asking price.

With the draft serving as a “soft” deadline, the two teams finally reached an agreement on April 26, according to Costello. Douglas would go through the details with Johnson, who signed the offer, before the two teams put together the required paperwork. .

“We’ve got our quarterback,” Douglas told the Jets staff to applause.

Over the next few days, Rodgers would be introduced to Jets fans at a wildly popular press conference, which would be watched by nearly 1 million fans on the team’s website.

“I’m an old man, so I want to be part of a team that can win anything,” said Rodgers. “I believe this is a place where we can make that happen.”