Former Jets WR has surprising take on Aaron Rodgers pursuit
August 12, 2022; Santa Clara, California, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) smiles before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Ask many around the New York Jets and they would be fully in favor of an effort to acquire Aaron Rodgers from the Green Bay Packers. One former Jets receiver, however, is not so sure.
Brandon Marshall, who spent two seasons with the Jets in 2015 and 2016, argued against the Jets trading for Rodgers, citing the quarterback’s potential one-and-done nature.
“Aaron Rodgers is the best thrower of the football our game has ever seen,” Marshall told Brian Costello of the New York Post. “This is our opportunity to really get it right and be in position to be contending next year. So, you can go Aaron Rodgers and feel like you’ll get there, right? But what’s going to happen after next year? I feel like a Derek Carr, even a Jimmy [Garoppolo], with that defense, with Elijah Moore used the right way and then Garrett [Wilson], we’re set up for the next five to seven years.”
Marshall also voiced concerns about Rodgers’ fit in the locker room, and suggested Raiders quarterback Derek Carr as a superior alternative. He even compared a potential Rodgers acquisition to the Jets’ one-year Brett Favre experiment in 2008.
“The chemistry and continuity is everything. Remember, we tried this before with Brett Favre,” Marshall said. “We did this, Woody (Johnson). We did it. We tried this before with Brett Favre. Derek Carr, that’s all we need. We don’t need the best quarterback. We need the right quarterback.”
Marshall is almost certainly in the minority here. The Jets appear committed to a pursuit of Rodgers, provided he wants to play in 2023 and the Packers would consider trading him.
From the Jets’ perspective, the short-term nature of Rodgers might be a feature, not a bug, provided they still believe in Zach Wilson as much as they claim to.
