The New York Jets are seemingly in the midst of a pregnant pause, as everyone is waiting for them to come to terms with the Green Bay Packers on the parameters of an Aaron Rodgers trade.
Rodgers has said he wants to play for the Jets, and it could be a matter of whether the Packers will demand a first-round draft pick in return for the future Hall of Fame quarterback.
But there is something else New York will apparently need to do before welcoming Rodgers to town.
They will need enough salary cap space to absorb his contract, and ESPN’s Rich Cimini says the team doesn’t have enough space yet.
Now that free agency has cooled off, a #Jets salary-cap check:
They have $9.5M in cap space, per NFLPA records. Figure about half will go to signing draft picks. Will need more room to accommodate Aaron Rodgers’ existing contract ($15.8M charge for Jets).—Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) April 3, 2023
Rodgers signed a massive three-year, $150 million extension last year, and it is a burden the Jets will have to accommodate if they are to land him.
But if they do acquire him, many agree they could become a dark-horse team in a very competitive AFC.
They ranked fourth in points and total yards allowed in 2022, and they boast Defensive Rookie of the Year Sauce Gardner, not to mention All-Pro defensive tackle Quinnen Williams.
On offense, New York has Offensive Rookie of the Year Garrett Wilson, as well as wide receiver Allen Lazard, a longtime teammate of Rodgers’ in Green Bay.
Of course, there are those who think the Jets would be making a mistake about getting Rodgers, not just because of his contract but also because of all the mileage he has.
His numbers dipped in 2022, and it’s anyone’s guess whether it was due to age.
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