Joe Banner doesn’t understand the debate over whether the Packers or Jets have more influence in Aaron Rodgers’ trade discussions.
“To me, the Jets can wait without any risk or consequence,” said Banner, who helped make the Eagles a powerhouse as team president from 1995 to 2012.
“The Packers, by waiting, risk that, for some reason, the Jets won’t be interested, and then they don’t have anyone. [to trade with]which really ruins his team for two, probably three years.”
“Believing that the Jets will do something that reflects impatience is not influence. That’s just hoping they’re stupid. Leverage is putting the Packers in a position where they could lose the only team in interest, which creates a complete disaster for them.”
The Rodgers matchup could take a while, but Banner said the Jets can wait.
The team’s offseason schedule won’t start until April 17, and since Rodgers knows Green Bay’s Nathaniel Hackett’s offense, he wouldn’t even need to be there for OTAs.
While it’s clear the Jets don’t have good alternatives at quarterback, Banner believes the Packers are in a tougher situation because there’s no way they can get Rodgers back now.
The Packers have made it clear they’re ready to hand things over to Jordan Love, and Rodgers’ $60 million salary and accompanying salary-cap charges could bankrupt the team.
That’s why Banner said he wouldn’t offer a first-round pick.
He said he wouldn’t even give up a second-round pick, but suspects the Jets eventually will.
“If I’m the Jets, I’m going to get it for as little as I can, and I’m not going to put anyone at risk no matter what,” Banner said.
“Why put one on the table when all you’re gaining is getting it a little earlier, maybe? The Packers have to give in at some point.”
Banner said the Jets could scare off the Packers by bringing another high-profile quarterback for a visit.
“If I were the Jets, I would bring Lamar Jackson to visit me even if he wasn’t interested,” Banner said.
“So the Packers are saying, ‘Holy [bleep], they have an alternative and we do not. We better close the deal. ”
The Jets are in a strong position because no other team has shown any real interest in trading Rodgers.
“The Jets want the deal for very good reasons,” Banner said.
“The Packers absolutely have to make a deal, and they only have one potential partner as we sit here, and it’s hard to imagine a second being created. The Jets have to be strong enough to trust that knowledge.”
Rodgers pushed the Packers to make a deal with his appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” last week and his statement that he intends to play for the Jets.
Banner said Rodgers could push things further.
“If Rodgers walked into the Green Bay front office and said, if you don’t trade me to the Jets right now for a reasonable price, I won’t cooperate with any other trade, right now the only option the Packers have is to find a way to shut down. the deal with the Jets or bring Rodgers back, which they can’t do,” Banner said.
Banner believes how the Jets handle this will be a test of where they are as an organization.
“This is the real sign of whether the Jets have changed under [Joe] Douglas and he got smart and has the ability to do what the really smart teams in the league do,” Banner said.
“Or are they going to be like they’ve been for a while and not make the smartest decision and not have great success on the field? For me, this is a moment in which we will see.”
