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Aaron Rodgers reportedly turned down Patriots trade offer

profilephotocropby: Suzanne Halliburton06/17/23suzhalliburton
aaron rodgers
Sean Zanni/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images

Try to imagine this scenario. Aaron Rodgers, dressed in Patriots gear, conversing with Bill Belichick in New England’s season opener.

The Patriots wanted to trade with the Packers to acquire Rodgers and bring him to Foxborough. This is all according to Craig Carton of Fox Sports 1.

“Aaron Rodgers almost wasn’t a Jet,” Carton said earlier this week on his FS1 morning show. “The New England Patriots made an offer to the Green Bay Packers to get Aaron Rodgers, and when Aaron Rodgers heard it, his agent said, ‘No, we ain’t playing for New England. We want to be a Jet.”

Now, this whole deal likely would’ve turned on the Patriots trading Mac Jones, the former Alabama star who was New England’s first round selection in 2021. Jones was known to butt heads with the Patriots coaching staff. He argued with them in team meetings. And Jones also was caught on camera screaming at Matt Patricia, the play caller. Rodgers never was that bad with the Packers, but he and Green Bay upper management had an icy relationship at the end.

Aaron Rodgers won the last time he faced Bill Belichick. The Packets knocked off the Patriots last October in overtime. (Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com said Belichick’s attempted move for Rodgers indicated he’s feeling some pressure. Rodgers, who will be 40 in early December, obviously represents a quick fix not a long-term solution.

Florio wrote: “Belichick realizes the clock is ticking on him turning things around. Whether it’s this year or next, the hot seat is creeping closer.”

Aaron Rodgers announced in mid-March that he intended to play for the Jets this season and not the Packers. When he made the announcement on the Pat McAfee Show, Rodgers already had met with all the Jets officials who mattered most, including owner Woody Johnson. The Jets and Packers didn’t pull off the trade until the day before the start of April’s draft.

When the Patriots inquired about a trade for Rodgers, it probably meant the team also wanted to deal Mac Jones. (Bryan Bennett/Getty Images)

And Rodgers does appear to be happy with his choice in teams as he happily shows up for OTAs. He’s also immersing himself in all things New York. Last Sunday, the quarterback attended the Tony Awards. You usually don’t put NFL and Broadway in the same sentence, but Rodgers managed to do so. He also went with some teammates to Madison Square Garden to watch both the Knicks and Rangers in the playoffs. Plus, Rodgers attended one of the buzziest events in NYC over Memorial Day weekend. He and Miles Teller, aka Rooster from Top Gun: Maverick, hung out in the VIP area for a Taylor Swift concert at MetLife Stadium.

He couldn’t have done any of that if he’d signed with the Patriots.

Meanwhile, New England didn’t trade Jones. Belichick hired Bill O’Brien as his new offensive coordinator. Patriots insiders believe Jones owns the upper hand on Bailey Zappe for the starting quarterback job.