At the time of this trade in April 2023, the New York Jets were big believers in themselves.
It backfired.
The Green Bay Packers let the Jets buy into that hype and traded them Aaron Rodgers, and it really, really didn't work out.
The Jets got Rodgers along with 2023 first- and fifth-round picks. The Packers got an earlier first in 2023, along with second- and sixth-round picks that year and a second-round pick in 2024.
ESPN's Bill Barnwell revisited the trade on Thursday and called it a "big win for the Packers."
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The Jets draft picks turned into Will McDonald, Jarrick Bernard-Converse and Zack Kuntz.
The Packers used the picks to draft Lukas Van Ness, Luke Musgrave, Anders Carlson and Edgerrin Cooper, along with additional help in trades to get Jacob Monk and Evan Williams.
"Disaster," Barnwell writes. "After a summer in which the Jets and their fans fell in love with the idea of Rodgers leading them to glory, he tore his Achilles four snaps into his home debut. The Jets went 7-10. Although Rodgers stayed healthy the following season, even the arrival of Adams failed to spur significant success from the future Hall of Fame passer, with Rodgers finishing 25th in QBR before the Jets moved on after two seasons."
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The Packers had Jordan Love ready to go, so this made perfect sense.
"This is addition by subtraction for the Packers, who upgraded at quarterback and cleared out cash and cap space in the process," Barnwell writes. "Their draft picks have helped stock what has been one of the league's best defenses through three games. Although the Jets are thrilled with McDonald, Van Ness has hit new heights after the arrival of Micah Parsons in Green Bay, and Cooper is a bona fide superstar at linebacker. Some of the draft capital also helped the Pack move up for Williams, who forced his way into the starting lineup at safety as a rookie."
Rodgers is now with the Steelers trying to prove he's still got what it takes, but the Jets are already onto their next QB era, and Justin Fields is already hurt.
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