Ex-NFL executive explains leverage Jets have in Aaron Rodgers trade saga

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Former Philadelphia Eagles team president Joe Banner thinks the New York Jets have more leverage than the Green Bay Packers in the Aaron Rodgers trade negotiations. 10 days ago, Rodgers publicly revealed that he accepted to come to the Jets.

But for two weeks, the Packers have been playing hardball with the Jets. “For me, the Jets can wait without any risk or consequence. The Packers, by waiting, risk that, for some reason, the Jets would not be interested, and then they have no one [to trade with], which really ruins their team for two, probably three years.

Believing the Jets will do something that will reflect impatience is not leverage. That’s just hoping they’re stupid. Leverage is putting the Packers in a position where they could lose the only interested team, which creates a complete disaster for them," Banner told The New York Post.

Banner: The Jets have the leverage in the Rodgers trade discussions

After meeting with the Jets, 39-year-old Rodgers agreed to continue his career and come to New York. On the other side, the Packers made clear their plans to give Jordan Love the starting quarterback job in 2023.

For the Packers, playing hardball with the Jets could backfire as theoretically Rodgers could get fed up with their attitude and retire. If that happens, everybody loses, especially the Packers, who would miss out on a chance to get assets in return for Rodgers.

“If Rodgers walked into the Green Bay front office and said: If you don’t trade me to the Jets right now for a reasonable price, I’m not cooperating with any other trade, now, the only choice the Packers have is find a way to get the deal done with the Jets or bring Rodgers back, which they can’t do,” Banner said.

The Jets have shown so far that they will not make choices in a rush when it comes to giving up assets to acquire Rodgers.