Aaron Rodgers: ‘I noticed walking in this morning that Super Bowl III trophy is looking a little lonely’

NEW YORK — The Jets haven’t won a championship since Super Bowl III during the 1968 season.

This week, the Jets brought in quarterback Aaron Rodgers via trade with the Packers, hoping to change that finally.

During his first official press conference with New York media, Rodgers said the allure of bringing a championship and ending the Jets 12-year playoff drought appealed to him.

“I think that’s an exciting draw to this as well is being a part of something special,” Rodgers said. “I grew up watching old VHS [Video Home System] of the Super Bowls. So obviously, I know about the guarantee and Broadway Joe [Namath] and it’s been a while since then.

“I noticed walking in this morning that Super Bowl III trophy is looking a little lonely.”

It was a long process acquiring Rodgers, but one Jets coaches and owner Woody Johnson are excited about. Rodgers met with the Jets brass on March 8 at his Malibu home, weeks after he returned from a darkness retreat in Oregon to contemplate his future.

Then Rodgers announced on the Pat McAfee Show on March 15 that he intended to play for the Jets moving forward after the Packers were shopping the former four-time MVP because they wanted to move on to Jordan Love, who they selected in the 2020 NFL draft.

“I just contemplated life as a retired player and life as an active player,” Rodgers said about the darkness retreat. "It gave me a peace about both decisions.

“Coming out, it wasn’t like ‘oh I want to play and play for the Jets,’ it was I feel great about both opportunities and let me see what’s out there and who’s interested and what the opportunity are and everything just fell in place.

“It was the Jets and only the Jets for me.”

After he announced his intentions, there was some thought a trade between the Jets and the Packers would happen quickly, but that wasn’t the case. The two sides communicated little after last month’s NFL annual meetings in Phoenix. It was only last week when the Jets and the Packers began talking about Rodgers again.

One of the reported sticking points was the Jets wanted assurance and protection in case Rodgers decided to play only one season. But the Jets (No. 13) exchanged first-round picks with the Packers (No. 15) along with giving them a 2023 second (No. 42) and sixth-round pick (No. 207) and a 2024 conditional second-round pick that will turn into a first if Rodgers plays 65% of the Jets snaps next season. Green Bay also gave the Jets a 2023 fifth-round pick (No. 170) in the trade.

Rodgers declined to answer when asked about playing past the 2023 season, as he wants to focus on the upcoming year. Despite him being noncommittal about playing more than one season, Johnson said he had zero hesitation in pursuing a deal for Rodgers.

“Because that’s the way it goes,” Johnson said. “You have to know the player and what he’s all about and I felt very comfortable about what he was talking about.

“He said it today and that’s good enough for me.”

Before going on his darkness retreat, Rodgers said he was 90% sure he would retire. There’s a saying in sports that if you’re considering retiring, you’re already retired. During the last few years, Rodgers flirted with retiring only to decide to keep playing. At this point in his career, Rodgers has nothing else to prove.

Rodgers is already one of the best quarterbacks of all time, as he is fifth all time in touchdown passes. He also has four NFL MVP awards (2011, 2014, 2020 and 2021) and won Super Bowl XLV, where he was named MVP of the Packers last championship in 2010.

In December, Rodgers will turn 40 as he will look to do what Peyton Manning and Tom Brady both did, win Super Bowls with multiple franchises. However, that isn’t the only thing motivating Rodgers at this stage of his career.

“I think the excitement of a new chapter has really been fueling my offseason workouts so far and just the overall excitement level,” Rodgers said. “I’ve mentioned the Jets fans and incredibly passionate group, I’m excited to meet them, to play in front of them.

“But to be a part of something special is what keeps me coming back and this is building right now. What coach [Robert Saleh] has done the last couple of years, he’s building something special the right way with the right values, the right type of leadership and I just think I can just fit in perfectly.

“I’m not here to be a savior of any kind, I’m just here to be the best quarterback I can be, to lead authentically and to inspire guys around me to raise their level of play to an even greater spot.”

Rodgers will join a Jets team that appeared to be close to making the playoffs for the first time since 2010. However, poor quarterback play from Zach Wilson, Mike White and Joe Flacco was the main culprit for a six-game losing streak to end last season as the Jets finished 7-10.

Meanwhile, the Jets defense kept the team in games all last season. Gang Green finished fourth in the league in points and yards allowed.

Rodgers will participate in the Jets offseason program this spring. He wouldn’t say how much he would be around for the team’s organized team activities next month, but he will start practicing with the team on Thursday.

That’s important because the Jets have a new offensive coordinator in Nathaniel Hackett as he replaces Mike LaFleur. Rodgers played in Hackett’s system from 2019-21 when he won two MVP awards during that time and also led the Packers to two NFC championship appearances.

Having Rodgers at the facility certainly has brought a different vibe and confidence to the organization that hasn’t been used to winning recently.

“Last year, we just couldn’t finish games,” Saleh said. “Obviously, we lost our last six and that left a sour taste in everyone’s mouth, but we were right there at the cusp.

“Five of those six were playoff teams and one of them were the Detroit Lions, who won seven of their last nine. There were some really good football teams that we went toe to toe with.

“It’s about finishing and this whole offseason is about finishing and how do you finish games and finish your rep at practice and everything that you do is about finishing and you prepare yourself to finish. When we get those opportunities come fall, we will be able to finish.”