Late Career QB Moves

Aaron Rodgers is finally a Jet.  More than a month after he told the Packers that the Jets were the only team he'd play for in 2023, Green Bay gave their disgruntled former quarterback what he wanted and traded him for draft picks.  The timing of the trade is actually not all that surprising, seeing as the Draft is later this week and both the Packers and Jets wanted to get it done before then so that they knew exactly which picks they'd each have.

The Rodgers trade comes exactly 15 years after the last time the Packers traded their future Hall of Fame quarterback to the Jets.  (Get ready for the next one in 2038!)  For Green Bay, it's a chance to move on and finally go in a different direction after the franchise was essentially held hostage by Rodgers and his whims over the past few seasons.  The Jets, meanwhile, are hoping a proven veteran will solve their long-standing QB problems (which are usually the result of high draft picks that just don't work out).

Of course, the Jets are also hoping that things work out a little better for them this time than it did with Favre.  I mean, 2008 was one of their better seasons in recent years, and Favre was great, so it wasn't exactly bad.  But they finished 9-7 and out of the playoffs after starting 8-3, then Favre was gone at the end of the season, and they'd make the next two AFC Championship Games without him.

Trading for Rodgers is a risk.  But it's a risk they were willing to take.  Just like trading for Favre was a risk they were willing to take.  Or, maybe it's signing a veteran QB as a free agent, hoping they've still got some magic left in them.  Sometimes that risk works out.  Sometimes it doesn't.  Just ask these other teams:

Peyton Manning to the Broncos: I'd call this the most successful late-career QB move ever.  After Manning missed the 2011 season due to injury and was released by Indianapolis, he signed with Denver.  In his four seasons with the team, the Broncos never won fewer than 12 games, won the AFC West every year, won two AFC titles, and won Super Bowl 50.  Eight years and five head coaches later, Super Bowl 50 remains their most recent playoff game.

Tom Brady to the Buccaneers: Brady's tenure in Tampa only lasted three seasons (so far).  That's why I rank it below Peyton's stint in Denver.  The Bucs, of course, played that home Super Bowl, then followed it up with two straight NFC South titles.  However, the NFC South was really bad last season and they had a sub-.500 record.  That's another mark agaisnt them.

Joe Montana to the Chiefs: When the 49ers decided to go with Steve Young at quarterback in 1993, they traded Joe Montana to Kansas City.  The Chiefs went 11-5 and made it to the AFC Championship Game that season.  They made it again in 1994, finishing 9-7 and earning a wild card before Montana retired after the season.

Matthew Stafford to the Rams: Last season wasn't good, but the 2021 season sure was.  The Rams and Lions swapped quarterbacks, with Stafford going to LA and Jared Goff going to Detroit.  Stafford stayed healthy, had one of the best seasons of his career, and led the Rams to a 12-5 record, then a home Super Bowl win.

Brett Favre to the Vikings: Favre "retired" after his season with the Jets only to resurface a few months later in Minnesota.  As it turns out, he really wanted to play for the Vikings that whole time.  And he had a great season in 2009, making his final Pro Bowl appearance after leading Minnesota to a 12-4 record and the NFC Championship Game.  He got hurt in that game, though, and the 2010 season wasn't so good.  Favre's career ended when he smacked his head and suffered a concussion during a December Monday night game.

Then there are the bad ones.  The QB trades/free agent signings that you think are that missing piece, but end up turning into a disaster.  And you can bet they regretted it.  Some of these tenures only lasted one year as a result.

Russell Wilson to the Broncos: Denver thought Russell Wilson was the answer to their offensive woes.  He was not.  Wilson was bad.  The offense was bad.  The team was bad.  What's worse is they traded so many draft picks to the Seahawks to get him, they're stuck.  All they can hope is that Sean Payton is able to find the Russell Wilson who was actually good in Seattle.  Otherwise, this will go down as one of the biggest trade busts in NFL history.

Matt Ryan to the Colts: Another one from last offseason that just didn't work out.  Indianapolis has turned into a kind of QB retirement home.  First it was Philip Rivers, then Carson Wentz, then Matt Ryan.  Rivers took them to the playoffs and Wentz just missed.  Ryan, however, was terrible.  So bad, in fact, that he got benched midseason.

Tim Tebow to the Jets: Mark Sanchez took the Jets to consecutive AFC Championship Games (OK, it was mainly the defense, but still).  Yet the Jets felt the need to get Tim Tebow anyway, even after signing Sanchez to an extension.  That season was an absolute mess!  They didn't know who they wanted the starter to be and it led to that weird platoon that ruined both of their careers.  In other words, it was a pretty typical Jets thing to do.

Andy Dalton to the Bears: Much like the Jets, the Bears haven't exactly had the best of luck when it comes to quarterbacks recently.  Case in point, 2021.  They signed Andy Dalton, who'd spent years as the starter in Cincinnati and stepped in admirably for Dallas in 2020 when Dak Prescott got hurt.  But, like most Bears quarterbacks before him, things didn't go well.  He was benched for Justin Fields, then became the starter again after Fields got hurt in Week 11.  The Bears, meanwhile, went 6-11.  Dalton rebounded nicely last year in New Orleans and is now in Carolina, a team that has its own recent history of quarterback problems.

Cam Newton to the Patriots: After Brady left New England as a free agent, the Patriots signed Cam Newton to be their starter for the 2020 season.  He wasn't terrible, but he wasn't great either (he had more rushing TDs-12, than passing TDs-8), AND he missed a game on the COVID-19 reserve list.  New England ended up finishing 7-9 and missed the playoffs.  The Patriots re-signed him that offseason anyway, but Mac Jones beat him out for the starting job and he was cut at the end of training camp.

Which list will the Rodgers trade end up on?  He forced the Packers' hand, so you can bet they're glad to be rid of him one way or the other.  But how will it work out for the Jets?  Will he finally solve their QB problem?  Or will this go down as another bust and leave them, once again, looking for the answer under center?