Packers’ Brian Gutekunst says first-rounder not ‘necessary’ for Aaron Rodgers trade

Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst shed some more light on the team’s attempt to trade Aaron Rodgers to the Jets.

With Gang Green coach Robert Saleh not ready to hit “the panic button” on the lack of a trade as negotiations seem to be at a stalemate, Gutekunst told reporters at the NFL owners meetings in Arizona on Monday that Green Bay hopes to deal Rodgers soon, but does not have a timetable.

Much of the reported hold-up around the deal has been about Green Bay wanting to get a first-round pick in return, but Gutekunst said that getting one isnt “necessary” to a potential deal.

Rodgers, 39, went on “The Pat McAfee Show” two weeks ago and declared his intentions were to play for the Jets this season and pushed the Packers to do the right thing by him.

Gutekunst stated that the four-time MVP ending up back with the Packers is not trending that way but “all options are on the table.”

Rodgers on the McAfee Show expressed some displeasure with how the Packers front office handled their discussions with him this offseason – in his eyes being ready to move on from him to Jordan Love following his darkness retreat after leaving the door open to him returning prior.

Gutekunst claimed to reporters that he was not able to talk to Rodgers despite attempting “many times.”

He was unsure if that would have changed anything, but would have liked the opportunity to talk with Rodgers.

“We were gonna have some follow-up conversations and our inability to reach him or for him to respond in anyway,” Gutekunst said. “I think at that point I had to do my job and kind of reach out and understanding that a trade could be possible and see who was interested. Shopping was never really part of that.”

Early in the day, Jets general manager Joe Douglas didn’t provide an overly optimistic picture of a trade getting done in the immediate future.

After the two teams tried to hammer out a deal prior to this week, Douglas said no formal meetings have occurred while to two sides have been at the owners meeting and just small talk has been exchanged.

“There’s been some productive conversations,” Douglas said. “Obviously, we’re not where we need to be yet. I feel like we’re in a good place.”

The lack of movement on a potential deal doesn’t seem to be a major concern for the Jets at the moment.

“I’m not hitting the panic button,” Saleh said. “I’ve talked to you guys about it before. I worry about things I’ve got control over. That’s something I have zero control over, so I’m just going to focus my energy on the things that I do. It is what it is. I’m confident that things are going to work out.”