Jets GM defends cost of 'historic' Aaron Rodgers trade

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — The New York Jets' coaches, scouts and top brass celebrated the acquisition of quarterback Aaron Rodgers with hugs and high fives. The blockbuster move, in the words of general manager Joe Douglas, is «a historic trade for this franchise.»

It's not official yet, as Rodgers still must pass his physical Tuesday and tweak his contract, but the Jets are proceeding as if the four-time NFL MVP is their new QB1. For how long is anybody's guess, as Douglas declined to comment Tuesday on how long they expect the 39-year-old quarterback to play.

«I don't want to put words in his mouth — you guys will have the opportunity to ask him those specific questions — but we're obviously excited about this opportunity, excited about this deal and excited having him on this team,» Douglas said Tuesday at his pre-draft news conference.

Douglas, who reached an agreement on the trade Monday afternoon with the Green Bay Packers, defended the compensation package. The Jets surrendered significant draft capital, including a 2023 second-round pick and a 2024 conditional second rounder that improves to a first rounder if Rodgers plays in 65% of the snaps — a threshold he has reached in 13 of his 15 seasons as a starter.

«I mean, obviously, we're comfortable with how this deal is shaped,» Douglas said. «I don't think anyone ever walks away from a negotiation where you feel like you won everything in terms of what's going back and forth. But ultimately our goal from the beginning was to add Aaron to the team and so we were able to get that agreed to and [we're] just excited get him here.»

Four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers is headed from the Packers to the Jets in a blockbuster trade. The details:

One of the final components of the trade