Later in March, Rodgers appeared on the former N.F.L. punter Pat McAfee’s show and said he intended to play for the Jets. In the weeks after, Douglas and Brian Gutekunst, the Packers’ general manager, publicly said they wanted to finalize a deal, but negotiations stretched over six weeks as the teams’ front offices stalemated over compensation. Rodgers, though, said he was confident the trade would get done.
“I believed it was going to happen the entire time, it was just a matter of, I think, waiting each other out,” Rodgers said. He added: “I believe there was some major synchronization to make this happen, but I’m excited about the opportunity here.”
Rodgers played under Nathaniel Hackett, who was hired as the Jets’ offensive coordinator in January, for three seasons in Green Bay, and he said their strong bond was another selling point for joining the Jets.
The Jets’ roster also includes last season’s offensive rookie of the year, receiver Garrett Wilson, and the defensive rookie of the year, cornerback Sauce Gardner — two players who had openly recruited Rodgers. Gardner and other players changed their social media profile pictures to a photo of Rodgers in college, and Gardner also videotaped himself burning a Packers cheesehead hat in Rodgers’s honor.
The Jets’ 2022 season started promisingly at 6-3, behind a stout running game and one of the league’s best defenses. But inefficient play from quarterback Zach Wilson, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 N.F.L. draft, caused Saleh to bench him with seven games left in the season. With that instability under center and significant injuries, most notably to the rookie running back Breece Hall, the Jets finished 7-10 and missed the playoffs.
Rodgers said he hopes to be a mentor to Zach Wilson, with whom he had a previous friendship, and to be a leader in the locker room. Saleh said Rodgers should be a stabilizing presence, and that his choice of the Jets was validation that the franchise is successfully rebuilding itself.
“Obviously you can argue that our arrow’s pointing up,” Saleh said.
Rodgers said he envisioned being with the Jets past this season, but said he did not want to focus on the future. His agent, David Dunn, attended the news conference, and Rodgers said he and the Jets would restructure his contract. But for however long Rodgers stays a Jet, Johnson said he would be content.
“With whatever he wants to do, we’re good,” Johnson said. “We’re so happy he’s here. This is transformative.”
