Robert Saleh: “There’s no urgency” to get Aaron Rodgers trade done

Mar 27, 2023 - 4:55 PM

Despite Mike Florio’s pleas, the Green Bay Packers and New York Jets have still not gotten a deal done for quarterback Aaron Rodgers. As it stands now, Rodgers is still under contract for the Packers — who are reportedly asking for at least a first-round pick in exchange for the 39-year-old four-time NFL MVP.

With the league gathered together for the NFL owners meetings in Arizona, the media focused on the Jets’ lack of a resolution when New York head coach Robert Saleh was scheduled to speak. Officially, Saleh never uttered the name “Aaron Rodgers,” even noting at one point that the quarterback was still technically a Packer, per MMQB’s Albert Breer.

Persistentent questioning, though, didn’t allow Saleh to delfect questions for long. When asked about a timeline to get a trade executed, Saleh claimed that “there’s no urgency” as Rodgers has “great rapport” with offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett — who was previously Rodgers’ coordinator for two MVP seasons with the Packers.

We’ll see how true that is as we approach the NFL draft. If Green Bay is willing to wait for 2024 compensation to ensure they receive a first-round pick, this whole saga can drag out into the summer. Last week, following the report by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport that a Rodgers trade might not happen until the week of the draft, we noted seven deadlines that could get the ball rolling and break the Jets-Packers staring contest. For what it’s worth, 62 percent of Packers fans believe that general manager Brian Gutekunst should hold out on trading Rodgers until the team receives an offer with a first-round draft choice.

Ahead of Saleh’s media availability, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo stated that the two sides “are not close as of now,” so don’t expect anything to change much anytime soon. The deal is going to get done, but when it does and the compensation are going to come down to which side gets desperate first.

While no deal with Rodgers is on the immediate horizon, Saleh did bench returning perferred starter Zach Wilson in his interview. Even though the head coach wouldn’t name his expected 2023 starter by name, he noted that Wilson will be a backup quarterback this season. That’s just an example of the weird times we’re living in until a trade becomes official.

Both Gutekunst and Jets general manager Joe Douglas are set to talk to the media later today. Hopefully, we receive more insight on the ongoing conversations the two sides have been having.