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NFL Betting

Jets predictions: Super Bowl odds slashed, but Aaron Rodgers deal still on hold

Action Network
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A man looks at the Lombardi Trophy at the NFL Experience Thursday, Feb. 4, 2021, in Tampa, Fla. The city is hosting Sunday's Super Bowl football game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Kansas City Chiefs.

A man looks at the Lombardi Trophy at the NFL Experience Thursday, Feb. 4, 2021, in Tampa, Fla. The city is hosting Sunday's Super Bowl football game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Kansas City Chiefs. (Charlie Riedel/AP)

As the Kansas City Chiefs lifted the Lombardi Trophy, bookmakers wasted little time putting up odds for next year’s Super Bowl.

Caesars Sportsbook had one of the earlier releases, with six teams priced with odds at 35-1 — including the Green Bay Packers and New York Jets.

But now, when we fast forward about a month, the Jets’ odds have dropped to +1400, with the Packers around +2800.

So what’s changed?

Well, unless you plunged into a “darkness retreat” of your own, you know that Aaron Rodgers stated that he plans to play football this season but hopes to do so in a different city.

What’s holding up the deal?

Speculation of Rodgers’ exit from Green Bay has fueled the movement on the Jets’ Super Bowl odds.

However, the teams have yet to agree on compensation as the Packers are inclined to make the Jets wait to land the future Hall of Fame quarterback.

Although the Jets have been relatively quiet about the move, they’ve already shown their hand by signing Rodgers’ former offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett and Rodgers’ former teammate Allen Lazard.

Behind the scenes, the Jets also cleared enough cap room to facilitate the trade.

Rodgers has publicly stated his desire to play in New York, but according to Joel Corry of CBS Sports, the Packers technically don’t have to make a move until Week 1 of the 2023 season.

That’s when Rodgers’ $58 million option bonus is due.

Now do I think the Packers will make the Jets wait this long? Probably not. But the Jets have already pushed their pieces to the middle and would look incompetent if this deal doesn’t get done.

There’s also a bit of irony here as Rodgers has held the Packers hostage over the past few seasons on whether he’d be returning to the team.

Given Rodgers’ constant vacillation between retiring and playing, one would hope the Jets could gain at least some idea of his level of commitment even beyond the upcoming season.

After all, it wouldn’t make sense to make these moves for just one season after paying Rodgers a hefty sum while also mortgaging your draft compensation.

It was always the Jets?

Rodgers’ decision to come to the AFC is peculiar, given the number of great quarterbacks in the conference, and, based on his performance last season, you could easily put him behind Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, Josh Allen and Justin Herbert.

But perhaps Rodgers didn’t have many suitors in the NFC who were willing to put up with his shenanigans.

The Jets haven’t won a Super Bowl since 1969, so they view Rodgers as their possible savior.

This is essentially a reboot of when Brett Favre left the Packers for the Jets, only to miss the playoffs.

New York will undoubtedly hope there’s a different ending this time around.