GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN – NOVEMBER 15: Aaron Rodgers #12 of the Green Bay Packers celebrates a touchdown run with David Bakhtiari #69 in the 2nd quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Lambeau Field on November 15, 2020 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
Could a longtime Green Bay Packers teammate of Aaron Rodgers be a part of the trade that sends him to the New York Jets? One insider thinks so.
Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers met with Jets brass on Tuesday, as they took a private plane out to California to convince the future Hall of Famer to force a trade to New York.
Green Bay would have to play ball, which they seem more than willing to do. Rodgers story is a familiar one, as most All-Pro caliber quarterbacks run into this issue towards the tail end of their careers these days. Rodgers thinks he can still play, but his contract is an albatross. Were the Packers to part ways with Rodgers (politely), Jordan Love is a sustainable backup plan.
Most importantly, the Packers would have cap space to add talent around Love. But we’re far away from that point.
NFL rumors: Could Packers trade David Bakhtiari and Aaron Rodgers to Jets?
Packers insider Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel wondered if David Bakhtiari might be part of the trade to New York. Bakhtiari and Rodgers are close, and there’s no guarantee the former would choose to continue his career without the latter.
Green Bay could save over $12 million by adding three more void years to Bakhtiari’s contract this offseason. Perhaps even better than that would be trading him altogether.
Bakhtiari has won a Super Bowl with Green Bay, and is a three-time All-Pro and Pro Bowler. He’s had a storied career, but has also been relatively injured of late. He played just one game in 2021, and 11 in 2022.
With the Jets, he’d be a major investment along with Rodgers cap hit, so they’d need assured that the pair would restructure said contracts.
