Amid trade rumors, Jets’ rookies are pulling out all the stops to keep their team on Aaron Rodgers’ mind.
Since the conclusion of the Green Bay Packers’ season, in which they recorded a disappointing 8-9 record and finished third in the NFC North, Rodgers continues to be a hot of topic of conversation entering the offseason.
On Thursday, wide receiver Garrett Wilson, who was picked in the first round (10th overall) of the 2022 draft, posted a now-expired Instagram story of a cartoon of Rodgers depicted on top of an arcade game. Wilson wrote, “Issa sign.”
Teammate Sauce Gardner took to Twitter Friday to poke at his possible new quarterback saying, “Aye, @AaronRodgers12? Nvm, I forgot what I was about to say,” followed by a nervous smiling emoji. The rookie corner back, who was drafted 4th overall in the 2022 draft, has since deleted the tweet.
Gardner later indicated that he wasn’t being serious, tweeting, “I was trollin y’all. Relax (with a laughing emoji).”
Both rookies received awards following the season — Gardner earned Pro Bowl and First-Team All Pro nods, and both were named to the 2022 NFL All-Rookie team.
Rodgers, 39, has previously worked with the Jets’ new offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett when the latter was the offensive coordinator of the Packers, and has recently praised his friend and former colleague. This only added to the trade rumors, pushing the rookies to add some fuel to the fire in the hopes to punch Rodgers’ ticket to New York.
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Under Hackett in 2020 and 2021, Rodgers won consecutive MVP awards. The two spent three years together before Hackett left for the head coach position with the Broncos. Hackett was fired by Denver before he could complete his first season.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reporting that Green Bay wishes to move on from the 10-time Pro Bowl quarterback, and Rodgers predicts in the next couple of weeks he will have a decision on his future — retirement or a return for a 19th season.