{"id":139439,"date":"2023-03-15T19:01:09","date_gmt":"2023-03-15T23:01:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/?p=139439"},"modified":"2023-03-15T19:01:09","modified_gmt":"2023-03-15T23:01:09","slug":"aaron-rodgers-interview-damages-trade-leverage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2023\/03\/15\/aaron-rodgers-interview-damages-trade-leverage\/","title":{"rendered":"Aaron Rodgers Interview Damages Trade Leverage"},"content":{"rendered":"

It is not over, but the announcement is done<\/a>.\u00a0 Aaron Rodgers has now made it clear that it is his intention to play for the New York Jets.\u00a0 He made this announcement on the Pat McAfee Show<\/a> on March 15th<\/sup>.\u00a0 There is plenty to say about the Packers moving forward and what Rodgers can look like in the Jets offense, but that it not the first thing that stood out to me.\u00a0 As someone who handles negotiations on a near daily basis, it was clear that Rodgers was attempting to harm the Packers trade positions on his way out.\u00a0 The interview blatantly sought to damage trade leverage as the Packers and Jets finalize their deal for Aaron Rodgers.<\/p>\n

Rodgers led off the interview saying, \u201cThis isn\u2019t the Decision Day.\u00a0 This isn\u2019t me deciding and announcing to the world that this is what\u2019s going on.\u00a0 In fact, that\u2019s already happened.\u00a0 We\u2019re actually days passed this.\u00a0 This is kind of clearing things up I think.\u201d<\/p>\n

Aaron Rodgers Damages Trade Leverage On Way Out of Green Bay<\/h2>\n

Propaganda and Negotiating<\/h4>\n

Rodgers made it clear that he wanted people to know he is not directing negotiations.\u00a0 He said that:<\/p>\n

\u201cI haven\u2019t been holding anything up at this point.\u00a0 It\u2019s been compensation that the Packers are trying to get for me. And kind of digging their heels in.\u00a0 So I would just think it is kind of interesting to step back and look at the whole picture.\u00a0 You know my side, appreciation, love and gratitude for everything that Green Bay has done for me.\u00a0 Love, so much love and gratitude and just heart open for the Packer fans and what it meant to be their quarterback.\u00a0 And also, the reality of the situation.\u00a0 You know, like it is what it is.\u00a0 Packers would like to move on.\u00a0 They\u2019ve let me know that in so many words.\u00a0 They\u2019ve let other people know that in direct words.\u00a0 Um, and, because I still have that fire and I want to play and I would like to play in New York, it\u2019s just a matter of getting that done at this point.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The very first thing he wanted to make sure everyone believed was that he was not making demands.\u00a0 He is a very connected person through social media and has always been keenly aware of the way people are talking about him.\u00a0 Jumping in to say how much he is not holding things up is an immediate attack.\u00a0 He knows the memes and the jokes on line and he is trying to put them all down.\u00a0 Further along, Rodgers also felt it necessary to say how the Packers had essentially asked, \u201care you okay if we don\u2019t bring back any of your guys?\u201d<\/p>\n

This was later addressed again when McAfee brought up the rumor that the Jets have been told to bring in Rodgers\u2019 guys.\u00a0 Based on report the Jets are talking to Randall Cobb and Marcedes Lewis after signing Allen Lazard<\/a>.\u00a0 Rodgers was quick to call this ridiculous, but added that he would obviously have said the Jets should sign these three individuals if, you know if, they had called him and asked about it.<\/p>\n

McAfee added, \u201csounds like there\u2019s maybe some conversations behind the scenes between the Packers and Jets that are holding this whole thing up, that the fans should maybe send their direct drama and bulls— hate to, is what I think we just cleared up there.\u201d<\/p>\n

McAfee even added,<\/p>\n

“[Packers] got no leverage either. I don\u2019t know how many people are watching, they\u2019re trying to compare this to the Matthew Stafford situation.\u00a0 Matthew Stafford, a part of the trade and what they gave up is because they were taking on Jared Goff\u2019s contract that was massive.\u00a0 Your contract would be leaving the team, so take that out of the leverage pool.\u00a0 And also they\u2019ve pretty much put them in a position contractually with Jordan Love because they have to decide whether or not they\u2019re going to pick up the fifth year.\u00a0 They made this decision by drafting Jordan Love that everybody else knows that they\u2019re going to another quarterback anyways.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Setting up in everyone\u2019s minds that this is clearly a thing the Packers did to themselves.\u00a0 Partially true, since the Packers have been willing participants in the last several years of this drama.\u00a0 This ignores all the additional harm this interview itself was doing to the Aaron Rodgers trade leverage.<\/p>\n

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Aaron Rodgers with a message to Green Bay \ud83d\ude4f pic.twitter.com\/38OYzZdetz<\/a><\/p>\n

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) March 15, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n