Aaron Rodgers will take the field in a new shade of green Monday when he suits up for the New York Jets after 18 seasons with the Green Bay Packers .
The quarterback sought a trade this offseason from Green Bay to New York after spending weeks — and a high-profile darkness retreat — contemplating retirement.
"I still have that fire and want to play," Rodgers announced in March on "The Pat McAfee Show," explaining that his intention was to join the Jets, according to Sports Illustrated .
The trade was finalized in April and brought an end to Rodgers' mostly successful but also contentious time with the Packers. The quarterback and team management butted heads repeatedly in recent years over issues like a lack of offensive weapons and Green Bay's selection of quarterback Jordan Love in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft.
Rodgers spent 18 seasons with the Packers, during which he became one of the faces of the NFL and a four-time MVP. He was drafted by the team in 2005 and took over for future Hall-of-Famer Brett Favre in 2008, when he began to build on his predecessor's success.
"With Rodgers as Green Bay's headlining attraction, the Packers were a mainstay among NFL contenders from 2009-2022, beginning each year as a legitimate threat to win a Super Bowl. The only disappointment from Rodgers' tenure is the fact he won just one title," NFL.com reported when the Packers-Jets trade was finalized.
Then-Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) celebrates a touchdown pass during a game against the Detroit Lions in Detroit, Sunday, Jan. 1, 2017. | Paul Sancya, Associated Press
That title came in February 2011, when the Packers defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25 in Super Bowl XLV. Rodgers earned Super Bowl MVP honors during the game.
Although Rodgers' performance as a starter for the Packers was almost always above average, his relationship with team leadership was sometimes rocky. It grew especially tense after the Packers drafted Utah State's Love in 2020, signaling that the team was preparing for a future without Rodgers.
Rodgers ultimately stuck with the team for three more seasons, but he was often openly critical of roster moves and other management decisions. It was clear to many NFL insiders that the quarterback would likely not go quietly — whether into retirement or in a trade to a new team.
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When the Packers' 2022-23 season ended in January with a regular-season loss to the Detroit Lions , Rodgers made it clear that he was conflicted about his future.
"Change is a part of this business, it's a part of life, and I think being open to it and embracing whatever that change looks like is an important part of coming to peace with whatever decision lies ahead of you," he said on "The Pat McAfee Show" in February, according to Sports Illustrated .
Rodgers later shared that he was "90% certain" that he would retire this offseason, but changed his mind after his darkness retreat. Around the same time, he became convinced that the Packers were uninterested in keeping him, so he sought a trade to the Jets.
"They want to move on and, now, so do I," he said.
New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) passes the ball during a game against the New York Giants, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2023 in East Rutherford, N.J. | Vera Nieuwenhuis, Associated Press
The Jets had emerged as an attractive landing spot for Rodgers due to their promising offense and their hire of offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, who had previously worked closely with Rodgers in Green Bay.
Rodgers, meanwhile, was attractive to New York, since the team was hoping to find an experienced quarterback to help the Jets win now and give Zach Wilson more time to develop.
"The Jets have built a roster brimming with young talent — including some talented skill position players — but quarterback struggles ... held the team back," as the Deseret News previously reported.
After Rodgers shared his interest in joining the Jets, Green Bay and New York got to work hammering out a trade. The deal was finalized in late April, just before the 2023 NFL draft.
In exchange for Rodgers and a 2023 first- and fifth-round pick, the Jets gave up three 2023 picks (a first, a second and a sixth). The team also agreed to send the Packers a first- or second-round pick next year (it'll be a first if Rodgers plays at least 65% of New York's snaps this year, according to NFL.com).
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Love is now the starting quarterback for the Packers. The team won Sunday against the Chicago Bears , and Love logged three passing touchdowns and 245 yards, as the Deseret News previously reported.
Rodgers will make his regular-season debut for the Jets on Monday Night Football against the Buffalo Bills . He's hoping to lead New York to the Super Bowl for the first time since 1969.
"It's been a new chapter (in New York). That chapter (in Green Bay) has been closed. It was a beautiful one, but this is a new chapter about a brand-new slate," Rodgers said in a recent interview with Fox Sports' Erin Andrews .
