Quinton Jefferson admits Aaron Rodgers news impacted his decision to sign with Jets

• Sports

Veteran defensive lineman Quinton Jefferson admits Aaron Rodgers' decision to play for the New York Jets played a part in his decision to come to the Big Apple. On Thursday, 30-year-old Jefferson signed with the Jets. Nearly a month ago, Rodgers announced that he agreed to play for the Jets.

The Green Bay Packers haven't yet traded Rodgers to the Jets but the general expectation is that it is just a matter of time before the star quarterback gets traded to the Big Apple. "It is a great opportunity to showcase my skill set and to get back into a defense that has an attacking front.

I think the sky is the limit with that group. I think we are about to take over the division. Then when you add in Aaron Rodgers and that type of offense with him leading it, you already know that that is a defensive dream," Jefferson told CBS Sports' Josina Anderson.

Jefferson admits Rodgers impacted his decision to sign with the Jets

Since Rodgers made his intention public, the Jets have also signed wide receivers Allen Lazard and Mecole Hardman. Also, the Jets are set to meet with Odell Beckham Jr and that's another big name they are hoping to land.

After the 2022 season ended, Rodgers was "90 percent retired." But then something changed in Rodgers' thinking and the Jets are profiting from that. "I gotta admit I went into the darkness 90 percent retiring, 10 percent playing.

That's where my mind was, my mind was 'I'm tired of this.' I hadn't gotten back in my workouts yet, and I thought that's what was best for me. So I went into the darkness, and I contemplated a lot of different things, but one day I spent entirely on the reality I was retired, and one I spent on the reality that I was coming back and playing.

And I just sat with that for hours and hours, what that looked like, what the reality is, how that all felt, and when I came out I was really interested in what the landscape was, where Green Bay was at, and if I wanted to play what the options were," Rodgers said.