The Ringer NFL Show - The Jets Should Trade for Aaron Rodgers | The Island

Episode Date: December 14, 2022

Welcome to ‘The Island’! Each week a guest tries to persuade Nora Princiotti to agree with an argument they feel strongly about. This week’s guest is The Ringer’s Danny Heifetz, who details why the New York Jets should trade for Aaron Rodgers. Will Nora join him on the island, or sail elsewhere? Host: Nora Princiotti Guest: Danny Heifetz Associate Producer: Stefan Anderson Additional Production Supervision: Arjuna Ramgopal and Conor Nevins Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The time has come to get ready for the 2022 World Cup. And what better way to prepare than by revisiting the World Cup's most amazing goals? I'm Brian Phillips. I'm making a podcast about the history of the men's World Cup, told through the stories of 22 iconic goals. The show's called 22 Goals. It's out now on the Ringer Podcast Network, and we're having so much fun. And I just feel like the Jets should seize the moment in this window and just be like, you know what?

Like, let's do it. We have all these youth, with all this stuff, Salos the right coach. And I think it just, it makes sense for everybody. Hello and welcome to the island on the Rainer NFL show. I'm Norfolk, Ghiotti. I am joined this week by the wonderful Danny Hyphitz, first time guest. Danny, welcome to the show. Tell us what island you're on.

I'm on the Jets to trade for Aaron Rogers Island. Think for the island like a record spinning on a turntable. Only now, that record is skipping. Oh, all right. Okay. The Jets should trade for Aaron Rogers Island. Make the case. Well, I mean, look, if Aaron Rogers wants to retire and go host Jeopardy or whatever,

like, you know, I'm not, we'll see. Like, I don't know what is in. You're not here to stop him. I barely know what's in my own heart. Never mind, like, what's in Aaron Rogers's heart. So I'm not going to pretend. But I want to just live in the world for a moment where Aaron Rogers is going to come back and return and play football next year.

And obviously, like, you could go back to the Packers, but I kind of think, actually, that the Packers would be best off, just flipping Aaron Rogers and giving Jordan Love the team for 2023 and seeing Jordan loves any good. I think Rogers is probably in a better chance to actually compete for a Super Bowl if he's on the Jets. And I actually think the Jets would be really wise to cash in on, like, this incredible core where they got everything going for them except a quarterback,

no shade to Mike White. and the Jets actually would be best served if they had Aaron Rogers. I actually think it wins for everybody if they kind of make this deal. So this is a win, win, win. This is Jordan Love, who by the way, I think last Friday told Jason Wilde,

who's a longtime Packers reporter, didn't tell him specifically any exact plans, but they had a long conversation. Wilde reported that he felt, quote, fairly confident that Love would end up asking for a trade rather than sit behind Rogers again in 2023. Now, obviously, Jordan Love could do that and the Packers could say,

thanks, but no thanks. But you have rising, mounting evidence that the backup quarterback is starting getting a little bit antsy, not only after having sat behind Rogers year after year, but also having shown more flashes than we'd ever seen seen from him previously

in that game against Philly. Seems like Rogers is going to come back and they play on Monday night against the Rams. It seems like he's, getting healthier and we'll probably play out the rest of the season. So Jordan Love, if he's continuing to be, to feel a little bit like he's not

getting his opportunity, he would get a chance to play. The Packers wouldn't have to deal with that issue and would at least get to see truly what they have with love. The Jets would have a veteran replacement for Zach Wilson not working out and raise their

ceiling. And Aaron Rogers would be, with a more complete team, really good defense when they're healthy, some exciting skill position players. Who do you think is most likely to say no to this? Like who needs to decide what to make this happen? Danny.

I mean, obviously, like the Packers and Rogers are in control. So it's kind of like the stacking Domino's here. Rogers is in control of whether he plays or not because basically Rogers signed his contract extension in the off season, which is probably why this sounds like a hot take. I think that most people probably were like, I thought this was settled when Rogers signed for this gigantic contract. There's no trade clause in it, but at the same time,

like not a no trade clause, but Rogers, the Packers can trade them if they want. But also Rogers basically has an option where if Rogers shows up, they're going to have to pay him like $60 million next year. So if he's going to play, if he wants to play, he can play. So that decision is in Rogers as can.

The Packers aren't really in a position to tell Rogers, you know, go away, kind of like Brett Farve. And also, you know, when we're talking, about the possibility of could he go off and host Jeopardy again or do whatever, he has several million reasons to play another season of football. Aaron Rogers has plenty of money, but 60 million reasons is a lot of reasons. I would have to say that Aaron Rogers is playing football next year. We can start there.

And again, I know the NFL salary cap is a little like vague, but there's the salary cap charge, which is like just accounting. Cash money, like direct deposit. Aaron Rogers is getting $60 million cash if he plays football next year. I don't know what about his jeopardy or whatever pursuits he wants to do that he just put it off next year. He also said that he wants to play to 40. He would be 40 next year. It's a nice round number.

Like, I know that he's wanted to play to that. And he said that in the past. So, like, it just seems a little wild to go. Also, is he going to go out this way with the way that this season's gone? It's been so bad. And they've been so awful. And I kind of feel like he's not going to go out with, I mean, he's probably going to throw in the most picks he's had since he was a rookie. I don't know.

So I do think he comes back for the money. in terms of who can say no obviously the Packers and everyone has to say the Packers and Rogers Rogers himself said last week he wants it to be mutual if he returns

and then Brian Goudicentz the GM basically said what's so funny Aaron Rogers is so funny it's just like how many times are we going to do this takes two to tango got to feel it from both sides

I really just you know I got to feel the love they got to feel the love it's every single year with this to try to like get inside the mind and the psyche of this adult man who, oh God, it's, it is a losing battle. But I'm sorry, I cut you off. No, but that's kind of the point is.

I kind of wonder at what point is, are you like, do the Packers kind of be like, should we move on from the shtick a year early than a year too late? Because here's, here's the thing. It sounds on the surface little nuts. And I'm sure Packers fans listening to this are kind of like, why would we move on from Aaron Rogers if Aaron Rogers wants to play first next year? He's like this back to back MVP. He hasn't had a great year this year, but he broke his thumb.

the team was kind of a mess of a line and the receivers were a mess in the first half of the season. But if he's healthy next year, why couldn't the lions compete? The NFC's broken down. I get all that. And also, Rogers, why would you want to go out as a freaking jet? And that's the thing. This is like so full circle to the Brett Farrv experience from 15 years ago.

And there's so many aspects of that that are full circle. Like the Rogers basically was drafted 15 years almost to the day before the Jordan Love was drafted and replaced Rogers. And then, like, Rogers kind of made his debut subbing for, at Fav. Like, it was almost exactly like another 15 years to the day of when, like, Jordan Love subbed for Rogers a few weeks ago. Like, this is kind of the last bit of it of like he goes to the Jets.

I know it's a little crazy, but the same way Packers fans didn't really envision Rogers coming up to replace Favre. Rogers wasn't the most popular guy in town. The thing I keep thinking about is what's the real mistake the Packers might make? Is it like booting Rogers one year, maybe two years too early? Or is it kind of passing on seeing what Jordan Love has to offer? because you look at this Packers team, they haven't been really competitive

on a serious basis this year. And I know they just beat the Bears, but other than the Bears in that one Cowboys win, they haven't really had many satisfying moments in Green Bay this year. And it's like the actual opportunity cost,

I don't think, is one more Super Bowl around next year. Like, this team had its window. Let's be honest. Like they had 13 wins in a row, three years, absolutely devastating playoff losses, two to the 49ers.

I feel like you probably want to see what Jordan Love has because here's the thing. If Jordan Love doesn't start for them in 2023, they're going to have to pick up the option. They'll have to give him like 20 million guaranteed in 2024. And so Jordan Love will basically be making his debut as a starter in his fifth year.

And the problem is if he's really good, he's like a free agent. And so now they're going to have to do the Kirk Cousins thing. And they give him like, 50, 60 million dollars a year or whatever after one season. It's like, you don't want Jordan Love to step into this job in the last year of his contract. So it kind of makes more sense for them to see what's up in 2023. and maybe you get two first rounders for Ron Rogers and you rebuild around Jordan Love. It makes sense to me to kind of start this

a year too early. Is that crazy? I don't think it's crazy, but here's the counterpoint. Is it possible that actually that's not that's far from the worst thing in the world? Because if we look, like if we sort of ignore some

pre-existing opinions about how you bring a young quarterback that you draft in the first round along, doesn't it start if you squint at it to look like Jordan Love is just existing within the context of an overall smart organization and over the years getting better?

Like he was really young when he was drafted and he looks like a mess the first times that we got to look at him in preseason he had some tough training camps. I think he was solid at the end of the Eagles game. It's really, well, we've barely seen him. That's the broader point. That's what I'm saying. That's what I'm saying.

He looked so much better. in that Eagles game, then we have ever seen Jordan Love look on a football field. Isn't there a possibility that he just is developing? And we never see this. We never see this. Teams never do this anymore unless it's Patrick Mahomes for just one year and you're in a situation where the team is already competitive and someone's developing. If you are drafted in the first round, you are probably going to play.

You're probably going to play before the rookie season is over. And obviously, play and start and play significant snaps. obviously Jordan Love is one of the only counter examples to that. And it makes it, I think, hard to look at the situation and go, well, they must,

it makes it easy to look at the situation go they're wasting him, right? Because everybody else does it differently. What if he's just getting better? I'm not saying, like, I don't know. I'm not at practice. But that's my point. He probably is improving.

And that's the thing. I think that investing in quarterbacks to develop them in practice for years is kind of underrated now. And it's probably the way that quarterbacks should be developed, but now the contract structure makes it more incentivized for everybody to play them earlier. But that's the point. If Jordan Love is getting better, you need to see him play. And that's the thing. Like he waited for three years. Aaron Rogers sat for three years and then he took over for five.

And I don't think it's crazy to think that if they've seen Jordan Love and they think he might be ready that they might want, I'm not saying Jordan Love's going to be Aaron Rogers. But like they might want to see Jordan Love play for a season. and if he's good in 2023, then you sign him to a contract extension. The problem is if he starts in 2024 and is good, now he has this massive, it's this massive negotiating nightmare. And again, again, I'm not trying to push Aaron Rogers at the door, but what you said earlier about him always needed to be mutual or whatever. I also just kind of wonder at what point is that getting a little tiring,

to be honest. And I think that it's kind of- That part, I think is totally fair. Well, I'm just saying, like at some point, like, this might not end well. And it's like, I just, I think even Packers fans a little bit are probably a little tired of the wishy-washiness in the same way. The first time Brett Farv wanted to retire Packers, and he came back, like, you know, Pakistan,

he wasn't going to get pushed out. The second time, the third off season of this, I kind of think Packers fans are like, you know what? Yeah, you know what? Like one year, it's too. And again, he might come back and be really good, but this team seems to have had its window, and I think that there's a real case that it's like,

they might be better off just putting Jordan Love in and be like, all right, let's get two extra first rounders, and like, let's build around this guy, and then, like, let's actually get him while he's cheap. They have to pick a massive contract dead cap hit on Rogers, it'll be like $40 million, which is bad.

But the Falcons just did that with Matt Ryan this year. It's totally doable. And then you're not pushing that money in the future because no matter what, they're going to have to take that massive cap hit on Rogers. You might as well get it out of the way and just see if Jordan Love's good instead of like doing it in 2024.

Well, but if you do it in 2024, right, It feels like there's a window that's closing, if not closed. But devil's advocate for that is, and I take an L on this, certainly. It seems like in Christian Watson, maybe they found something. Maybe there's actually like in the, and then, you know, not to mention Dobbs, right? But like moving on from Adams, I don't think that that move has worked out very well.

But it does seem like they found some guys, yeah, to say the very least. but it does seem like they found some guys who are not going to be DeMonte Adams but who if you're Aaron Rogers, you might want to see how they develop and what it would be like to play with them a year down the road. Yeah, there's absolutely a case that this is this island.

Yeah, this island could sink because to your point, like... And defensively, they've had such a bad year and part of that is because they made some bets, you know, Campbell coming off like the best year that he'd ever had by far and you bank maybe a little bit too much on stuff like that being replicable defense as we know is just incredibly volatile. But for the talent, for the names that are on that defense, this seems like regression going all the way to the other end. So maybe, maybe the defense is a little bit better next year, right? Like maybe the pendulum is just swinging to

extremes and it levels out a little bit. Rogers is not the problem, right? Like for his as the offense has been, Rogers is still playing at a pretty high level, not as high of a level as he was for back-to-back MVPs, right? But, like, he's a pretty good quarterback still. And you might have one, the question essentially that I'm asking is that if you have maybe one year left where he is still not a top five quarterback,

but a top 10 quarterback. And you get a little bit better defensively, you regress back to the mean a little bit defensively. And the guys that you've brought in at the skill positions develop a little bit. Rogers is still, you know, not the elite elite guy that he's been, but Rogers is still an upper level quarterback. Isn't that maybe worth saying, okay, we might find ourselves in a franchise tag situation with Jordan Lut? We might find ourselves in a situation where we just have to like really curry favor

and get them to buy into being a part of this organization. but I don't know that you don't make that that tradeoff. Yeah, look, there's absolutely a world where this island can sink for all the reasons you laid out. And it's like the problem for this Packers, the first half of the season was, I mean, I saw like we wrote a great piece on it. Basically the point was the Packers have good scheme on offense and no talent. And then on the defense, it was they have a bunch of talent and bad scheme. And so they have new, if they end up with a new defensive coordinator next year,

there's seven first rounders on defense and that defense will probably get better. I mean, this year they're allowing five yards to carry. They can't defend the run. The defense is pathetic, but in theory, that should get a lot better. And on offense, they have talent now. Luzard is probably, I bet Alan Luzard ends up leaving. They might cut Aaron Jones and save $11 million. But if they keep Aaron Jones, they got Aegee Dillon.

The offensive line was kind of still jumbled from injuries from a year, really two years ago almost. And the offensive line will probably be better. It's kind of young. And then again, Christian Watson was banged up a lot in the first half of the season. And he's back. Romeo Doms is hurt now. But like Christian Watson, Dobbs, you know, I don't think the tight ends are very good, honestly. but then Darren Jones still in this good skill group.

And like Bakhtiari is now dealing with the appendix thing, but that's that all, they've dealt with a lot of crud. It's easy to say, look at this team and say, hey, like, they could get better this year. But also, let's be honest here. Like, this was a much, much better team for three seasons in a row. It didn't get done. And yes, you can go all in.

But I think that the flip side, we have to live in the real world where it's like the interesting part, Rogers and, Jordan Love were represented by the same agency. And if they can get Aaron Rogers and Jordan Love to all sing kumbaya, great. If Jordan Love wants out, what do you do? Now, that's the thing. They have all the information here. It's like they've been the one who have the best gauge in how Jordan Love, good Jordan Love is.

Like, the Packers were comfortable moving on from Fars because Rogers was there and they saw how good he was. The Chiefs were super comfortable moving on from Alex Smith because they saw how good Patrick Holmes was. Like, in some ways, what they end up doing is probably going to tell us a good Jordan Love is. Like, if they move on from Rogers, it's because they think love is good. If they keep them, they might, it might be an indictment if they trade them away. However, what I'm saying is if Jordan Love has looked good in practice, I don't think it would be shocking because what are they going to want to do? Flip Jordan Love, they're probably not going to get a first rounder for Jordan Love.

Because whoever takes Jordan Love, they're going to have to guarantee his fifth-year option. And that's basically like Sam Darnold again. It's like, you're probably going to get a second round pick. So is it worth getting a second round pick for Jordan Love to get Aaron Rogers to guarantee he'll play you like one more year, maybe get two more years? Or do you want a shot and be like, hey, why don't we like see this kid play?

And all I'm saying is like, look, again, Roger said it's mutual and like maybe the Packers are going to, and maybe in the process, the Packers kind of bungle the relationship with Rogers and then he doesn't know what they want. And suddenly it's complicated, this love trying. It's the ones to deal with this. I'm just saying, the Jets swoop in.

And they're like, hey, we have one of the best young defenses in the league. There's a serious, serious chance the Jets have the offensive of rookie of the year. Garrett Wilson and the defensive rookie of the year in Sauce Gardner. And the defense, as you know, is fantastic with Robert Solid, the depth on defensive line. They've built this thing incredibly.

I mean, Breeze Hall, you know, obviously he's hurt out for the year, but like great running back. Michael Carter is like the Jets have one of the best running back groups in the NFL in terms of youth and where they might be. They've one of the best receiving groups in terms of youth and talent up and coming. The offensive line's a little banged up. But like every, the Jets have everything you want in a contending team. And all the important players are on.

rookie contracts, you just need to insert a veteran quarterback like Aaron Rogers. And I think the whole thing comes down to a couple weeks ago, the Jets were playing the Vikings, and they just couldn't get it done in the Red Zone. And they're there, and it's like, bless Mike White's heart. But like, it's not really Mike White, the reason coming in that this team's working. It's that their talent around him is so good. Just run the system and you're there. But then that same week where the Jets couldn't get it done against the Vikings,

Rogers came and kind of played terribly, honestly, for 40 minutes, and then just rocked the Bears at the end of the game and came back. And like, if Aaron Rogers was in charge of the Jets red zone offense, I kind of think that the Jets would be like a top free Super Bowl pick right now. And I just feel like the Jets should seize the moment in this up, in this window, and just be like, you know what, like let's do it. We have all these youth, with all this stuff, Salos the right coach. And I think it just, it makes sense for everybody.

Well, and he'd get the other LaFleur, right? Like he already, you know, it's always a little bit of a moving target to parse the state of the coach quarterback relationship in Green Bay but generally speaking, Aaron Rogers in that Lefleur offense has been one of the most exciting players to watch in football, right?

And there's a version of it in New York that he could slot right into. Well, on that note, so the Packers, well on that goes, the Packers head coach is Matt Lafleur. His little brother, Michael Fleur, is the offensive coordinator for the Jets. I don't even know if, I don't even want to pretend that that's like a pull. for Rogers. I think what that really is,

is it creates the environment necessary to back channel the deal. It's kind of not that different than like the Lions and the Rams deal. We're shaking your head. Like, no, what do you mean? I'm totally shaking my head. I thought you were going to say the opposite and I completely disagree with you. Remember how mad Kyle Shanahan

got? For the Stafford trade for the Rams? No, no. The draft day thing about or sorry, how Mad LaFleur got it, Kyle Shanahan. when the 49ers made that draft day call about Rogers when there was the first round of like, maybe he's going to retire, maybe he's going to go away.

Yeah, but that's because they're the same conference. But this is why I landed on the jazz. No, no, no, no, no, no, it's not. It is because they are petty, petty, petty men and they're friends with each other. But that's different. Mike and Matt Lefleur do not want to be having a family swabble over here. No, no, no, no. But look, it's the same.

Look, I think that I get what you're saying where they're competitive when a quarterback's in the market. They want the guy. But I look at it this way. if the Packers basically are saying, look, we might get one more year of Rogers, we might have to rebuild some of this and we want to see love. And honestly, that's what it comes down. Do you want to lose Jordan Love for nothing? If Jordan Love has looked good, they're like, do you want to lose him for nothing?

You want to flip him for a second? You want to like, I'm just saying, if they do want to change the reins here. And again, I don't know how they really feel about Roger. I'll just say, Goudicun said, we gave him this big contract, but he didn't talk like someone who was like committing. He talked like someone who's like, yeah, we'll address that at the end of the season. That doesn't sound like someone who's committed. He sounds like, yeah, we're going to keep our options open.

What I'm saying is if you actually look, okay. I mean, the dollar figure sounds like they're committing. Well, they'd have, well, no, it's, the contract was structured that they could get out of it this year. So it's totally possible as much as it's crazy. The Rogers contract? No, was it? The Rogers contract, they can get out of it pretty simply next year. But this year, well, I mean, this year, I mean, the deadlines passed.

But I mean, like, this coming, like two months from now, like this offseason. Like, like before the Super Bowl, this January. They could raid him. but they couldn't cut him. If they cut him, no, not cut him. No, they're not going to cut them. I'm saying they would trade.

When I say, did I say, if I said cut, I meant trade. I mean they can get rid of it. Because there's a no trade clause. Okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I'm with you there. But just in terms of the financial commitment. Oh, yeah, yeah. But I'm saying that Goudicons did not act like Rogers will be back as the starter in 2020. For sure. Like, he's not saying that out loud.

He's keeping his options open. And what I'm just saying is, if you are the Packers and you're like, okay, we're going to trade Rogers. It's the same thing as far. The first thing that the Packers said is, well, he's not going to the division, right? He's not going to the Lions. It's not going to division. In fact, we don't want him in the conference.

You look at the AFC teams first because they don't really want him. They're not sending him in the 49ers. They're not sending him in the NFC. All right, we're exiling him to the AFC. So you need an AFC team that both is good enough that Rogers will want to go, but doesn't have a quarterback. That takes out like the entire AFC North, the Ravens, the Browns, the Steelers, you know, the Bengals, they all have quarterbacks. The AFC West, you know, the Broncos are stuck with Russ.

The Chiefs got Mahomes. The Chargers have Herbert. And you look at the AFC South, the Texans suck. The Colts, I mean, Roger's not going to the Colts. The Jaguars have Trevor Lawrence. And then you look at the AFC East. The Bills, Josh Allen, dolphins have Tua and the Patriots. I think Rogers and his various issues with authority.

I don't think he's going to play for Bill Belichuk. That leaves three AFC teams. I know, right? That leaves three AFC teams. It's the Raiders. It's the Titans. Who don't have much in terms of draft capital to offer after that. Yeah, because they just set him for Devante.

Can you imagine the awkwardness of sending him back to, I don't know, the Raiders were on his list, but the awkwardness of like, I don't know. That just seems a little wild to me of like sending with the Raiders for a bunch of reasons. They trade Devonte for Aaron Rogers. I know. It doesn't make sense. So like, unless he wants to go play for the Titans and Nick Westbrook Aquinae and like, Traillen Berks and Robert Woods

I don't think the Titans make sense. So if it's not the Titans, it's the Jets, man. The Jets are the obvious AFC team where you set something up. So what does it cost? What's this costing the Jets? Probably, I think that it's probably

the, it's probably like the Russell Wilson trades a template. I was talking to smart people about this. I think the two firsts is the template. Like it starts at two firsts. The Rust trade was like two first, two seconds and like, you know, a bunch of other players. I think the two first, but the difference is Russ had like a six-year deal with the Broncos.

Rogers, it's like how long you're really getting him for? Two years, really, maybe. So I think that's probably two firsts. Maybe if Elijah Moore can't make up with the coaching staff, it's two first and Elijah Moore, maybe it's two first in a second. I don't know, really. But I think it's worth it for the Jets. The Jets 7-8, 4,000-yard passers since Joe Nath.

Like, they need someone to run this team. Like, they have Garrett Wilson on a rookie contract. They have Elijah Moore in a rookie contract. Like, they have Breeze Hall, they've Michael Carter. They have Sauce Garder, like this great defense. Go and get someone that can win the Super Bowl. Like the Jets are kind of ready everywhere except quarterback. Mike White isn't going to get it done.

Zach Wilson's not going to get it done. Maybe you can flip Zach Wilson to someone for a second or third too and just recoup that. How much of a difference? So you said earlier that with Aaron Rogers, this year's Jets would probably feel like a sort of a top three Super Bowl pick. Let's play this thought exercise with this year's Jets and a healthy Jimmy Garoppola. See, I don't get it. That's my concern is like how big of a difference? Everyone keeps throwing that out there.

And I got to be honest, I don't understand it. Like I just, there's on the surface level connection of like, well, he played, you know, he was on the 49ers and the Jets coaches came from San Francisco. And then he knows the system. And I'm like, yeah, I get it. The entire reason the Niners got Jimmy, or got Trey Lance or one of them was because they were like, Jimmy G can't stay healthy. And then since they made that decision, Jimmy G's gotten hurt two different times. Like Jimmy G was injured the entire stretch run

of the last postseason and him being hurt was honestly a huge reason they lost in the NFC championship game. And then now he's spraying his foot again. It's like this guy can't stay healthy. The idea that any team should be committing serious resources to Jimmy when he's,

let's be real. When he's fully healthy, he does two things a game that almost cost you the game. So like I don't really have any, I don't think Jimmy. That part I would push the, well, not the two things a game

that almost cost you the game thing. I would push back a little bit on the idea that a healthy Jimmy Garoppola wouldn't be a massive upgrade for the Jets and the fact that it could probably come relatively cheap. He's an upgrade over Mike White. I don't think he's a massive upgrade over Mike White. And honestly, if Rogers is going to cost $16 million in a cap, because that's like all it costs really is $60 million cap it plus the picks. I mean, also, if you're, here's the thing, if you're committing to Jimmy G, guess what? History says you'll still be of Mike White by week nine next year because Jimmy G has never played out a healthy seat.

Even when he was replacing Tom Brady for four games, at the youngest point of his career, he still got hurt. He's never played like three months in a row. You're making, to me, the most compelling argument with Jimmy in this case. It's just that, like, you can't count on him to stay healthy. What about Derek Carr?

Why? I'm just saying, like, Derek Carr's cool, but, like, one, it's a half measure. I guess that's the way I look at it. If you're the Jets perspective, go get Derek Carr, oh, cool. Why don't she just go get Aaron Rogers,

who was an MVP a couple years ago? Well, because, look, because there's a scenario, in which, okay, Aaron Rogers this season, you know, to my eye, he's still a good quarterback. He's still certainly,

you know, top half among starters. He's probably like cuspy top 10. He's lost some ticks in accuracy, and he is not the pocket mover that he used to be. And if he takes, imagine he takes another tick back like that with another year.

Right? Like, then you're talking about a good, you know, just a middle of the pack, pretty solid. If he got like, how much better? He got like five notches worse. Oh, yeah. 12th versus 15th? Like, and he costs you two first round picks? The interesting point is to your point is, if it's true that Aaron Rogers is playing

worse this year because he's just playing because he's just worse, in theory, that would make the Packers more likely to move on for me. I think the thing with Rogers, and this is not like cut and dry. Stephen and Solak, we do the Friday show, and like, they disagree. I am on team Rogers, and I actually feel the same way about Aaron Rogers that I do about Tom Brady, that they're both really good still, and they've progressed because their teams around them have deteriorated, and that Rogers has the broken thumb, and that, guess what, his offensive line was jumbled, the only player he ever threw the ball was to was Devante Adams, and they just didn't replace him.

And then the offense didn't work, and everyone's like, I wonder what happens. Well, the line, the line is not healthy. And, like, he was throwing, I mean, Sammy Watkins was having to play serious reps for this team. That doesn't make sense. Both of these things can be true, right? Like, the Packers are a bottom 10 offense in the NFL. I think Aaron Rogers is a probably a top 10 quarterback.

Now, he has gone from being third-ish to first, like, very clearly in that, that elite group. But what are the Jets going to do? Like, you'll go and have Mike White next year? That's the thing. are the Jets going to have Mike White? Zach Wilson, they can say they're going to give a chance. They can't run a next season of Zach Wilson.

So it's like, at the very least, you have to have a quarterback competition. Are you going to have Mike White? That's crazy. And if that's the thing. Can I tell you what they should do? Can I tell you what they should do? Do you have any final words before we reach the moment of truth here? I'll tell you if on the island or not.

All right, Danny, I'm sorry. I'm not on the island with you because I am on Tom Brady should sign with the Jets Island. Tom Brady to the Jets. So let me ask. All right. well, now we got to play. Why should Tom Brady go to the Jets and not the 49ers? I mean, because it's a good point.

I know that he is from San Francisco. First of all, there is, I am, there has been so much smoke for so many years over Tom Brady and the 49ers, and it never happens. But it always seems like it's overblum. But, but, but he has historically shown a strong preference for looking at teams. on the East Coast. He would like to live on the East Coast. Well, because, I mean, his kids are in school there. But I'm just saying, situation's a little different now.

And I'm not pretending to know one way or the other. But. Well, here's my next. Now, okay, there's, if you're Tom Brady and you're reentering the dating pool, there's worse places to be than San Francisco. However, there's probably no better place to be than New York City. They've still got a, he's still got a place here. I don't, are you applying that Tom Brady's going to go in a,

in whatever city is in. I don't think that's the point. I don't think that's necessary. He doesn't need to go on hinge. He would need to go on hinge if he went to like Indianapolis or something. I'm sorry. It's firstly beyond riot.

I don't think he's too famous for even riot. I'm saying that the Jets are, that's actually an interesting point. Brady to the Jets. That's actually kind of interested. Brady to the Jets. Because first of all, I genuinely think that,

I mean, unless Goudicun's who I believe has been a little bit disempowered in that organization, but unless Gouda Coot's does like really calling the shots here, I genuinely believe that trading Rogers from one Lefleur to another would be a sticking point. I think it would make them not want to do it. I just, this is not a criticism, but I believe that people would fall in many organizations operate on that level of pettiness. Second of all, he's essentially going to be a free agent.

The contract in Tampa has, yeah, it has many years tacked on, but they void. So you can do it without the draft capital, which when we're talking about a team like the Jets that has a really, really promising young core, wouldn't it be nice to just pay for the quarterback in dollars, right? And not have to shell out a bunch of draft capital because you sort of know, like, this isn't a 10-year solution. This is for right now and we think we can compete

and it's awesome that we're able to do this. but like let's not lose the opportunity to get one, two more quality starters that can be with us for the long haul in here, maybe. I think that would be pretty nice. Second of all, I think Brady's playing better than Rogers at this point. I would rather pitch my wagon if I'm a Jets to old Brady than old Rogers because it just seems like he's got a little bit more. he hasn't regressed in quite the same way. I think that's the hottest take of the thing. I actually think that both guys,

it's obvious that when they're in good situations are good. But I think I'm more with you on the point that, would you rather just sign Tom Brady for money or get Aaron Rogers to trade? I think that makes more sense, Tom Brady and the keep your two first rounders. I like this a lot, though, because Bill goes on the Manning cast

and Bill's talking about how like, oh, Brady could go back to the past. I think Brady's coming back. The Patriots doesn't make any sense to me. Like, I've been there, done that. Like the Jets are like just a better football team. You put Tom Brady on the team. I don't even think Patriots fans could convince themselves

that like Brady on the Jets is not as good as like they're better than the Patriots. Brady on the Patriots even, you're like, okay, cool. Derek Carr on the Jets might still be better. Tom Brady is not going back to New England to take orders from Matt Patricia. No, it doesn't make, exactly. It doesn't make sense.

But this makes more sense. And I think that the strongest point is that it would keep him in the time zone, like with his kids in New York. That actually is a really good one because people have been like, oh, Brady did the Giants. The Giants suck. The Jets team has an excellent core. Also, he can stick it to Belichette. Exactly. I think this is really good.

But I think that that's the key point is that this stage of his life, and I guess maybe this is the big point to kind of end this point. Rogers and Brady are these two like legendary quarterbacks. Brady more available this season than not. And I think that if you're looking at, who are the teams that are a quarterback away from winning a Super Bowl?

They just so happen to be New York with the Jets where Brady's kids are like, you know, in school. And then San Francisco where Brady's from and like his family's at, that's really interesting. It is interesting. Just to close the loop on what we were talking about with which one of them has sort of fallen off less or more,

the thing with Brady to me is that he doesn't have the Rogers thing where Rogers, he's gotten older, he's a little bit less mobile than he used to be. And he still, he always has this thing about he never wants to throw picks, right? Like he's really, really mistake averse in certain ways. And the problem is, is that I think he's less willing than Brady is to just like, take a sack or throw a ball up and take a chance. and see if you can make something.

He wants things to be perfect in a way that I think can be kind of scary for a guy who is getting older and starting to lose. We're talking about this with Rogers and not Tom Brady in terms of wanting control and perfection. Yes. I actually think that when it comes to how he actually plays,

I think that's true. I think you're right that he just does have the, he throws the ball away all the time. I agree. But I just base that. But like, I don't really view that as a, problem. Brady takes those.

Oh, I think it's a problem. He went back to back MVP's and then this season's like an absolute disaster. But like I think you're like, well, yeah, they traded away Devante Adams's broken thumb. What did they expect? I'm talking about like what has changed this year. Right? And I think it's like he just doesn't, he's mistakeverse in a situation. Hasn't he always played that way?

Yes, and usually it's been fine. But when things start to get worse, I think that can turn into a real problem. But is it? Isn't it the same with Brady this year? Sometimes it looks like But sometimes with Brady, it ends up looking like the worst pick you've ever seen a quarterback throw. But I... And I get that this is like such a galaxy brain thing where it's like throwing interceptions is actually good.

No, no, that part is serious saying. But like, Rogers has always been a mistake of us. I just feel like Brady and Rogers to me in the same situation. They were playing great. And then their teams collapsed because they were trying to go all in for a Super Bowl. And now people are like, oh, did Brady and Rogers fall off? It's like, no, their teams fell off because everyone's hurt or gone. Yeah. No, I mean, I think largely, globally, that is absolutely the situation as I see it as well. But if we're talking about who would I rather have right now in, you know, blind to the situation of the offense around them, it's Brady by a hair and there's a few reasons for it. But chiefly, I just don't think that he, I think he is a tick more comfortable than Rogers when all of a sudden things are kind of crappy around him.

him. And look, maybe in this argument that we're making him at the Jets, it doesn't matter, right? That's a pretty good situation. But it's just something that I've seen with Rogers this year that I haven't seen quite as much with Brady that, that it rears his ugly head with Brady in other ways, right? Like sometimes it feels like he will make throws where it's just like, dude, don't do that. But the thing about this is we're splitting hairs, but that's how I would split the hairs. He's going to make Mr. Bill Simmons a very upset is nothing would actually make Belichick angrier than if Brady went to the Jets and Belichick's career basically ends with Brady kicking his ass

on the Jets. I think that's like the actual nightmare of how Belichick's career ends. Because he hates the Jets so much. And the Jets being good. Also, Jets fans, I can't imagine a more emotional like I don't know a better word

on. Oh, it's Pete comedy. Than like Brady joining the Jets. That's the Brady wanted. Just Brady hate the Jets as much as Belichick does? That's the thing. I feel like Brady hates the Jets. Does he get over that? No way. Brue is it. It's like Roger's joining the Bears.

But worse. It really is like if Aaron Rogers joined the Bears. That's really what we're talking about. I know, again, far of one to the Vikings, but like this is even more extreme. All right. Well,

you and I both may be in some professional jeopardy after articulating, I guess my take specifically. Danny, I'm not on the island with you. I'm on neighboring island. Tom Brady should sign with the Jets Island. I can't believe I've ended up here. You're convinced me, I'm coming to your island.

I'm on Brady to the Jets Island now. You're on Brady to the Jets Island too? All right, awesome. This is going to be great. We're going to go like jet skiing and stuff. He's Danny Hyipids. I'm Nora Prince Yadi. This has been the Island on the Ringer NFL show feed.

Thank you so much for listening. Thank you to Danny again. We will be back next week. But for now, Sheila Kavadio will be up next on this feed. Tomorrow going in depth on NFL news on The Scramble. Thank you as always to Stefan Anderson for production on this episode and to Connor Nevins and Arjuna Ramgapal for additional production supervision.