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Longtime former Green Bay Packers wide receiver Randall Cobb is reportedly joining Aaron Rodgers as a member of the New York Jets as part of a one-year deal, sources with knowledge of the situation told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Wednesday (May 3).
"A reunion: Former Packers’ WR Randall Cobb is expected to agree to a one-year deal with the New York Jets, allowing him to play with Aaron Rodgers in NY, per sources. The two men who walked off the field together in Green Bay now get to do more work to do together," Schefter tweeted.
The Jets had previously signed former Packers wide receiver Allen Lazard, who led Green Bay in receptions (60) and receiving yards (788) in 2022, amid speculation of an inevitable trade to acquire Rodgers earlier in the offseason.
Cobb spent the first eight years of his NFL career career with the Packers after initially being selected by the franchise at No. 64 overall in the second-round of the 2011 NFL Draft. The Tennessee native later spent the 2019 season with the Dallas Cowboys and 2020 season with the Houston Texans before being re-acquired by Green Bay via trade, which was reported to be at the request of Rodgers, his close friend, in July 2021.
Cobb recorded 34 receptions for 417 yards and one touchdown in 2022.
The Jets and Packers agreed to a blockbuster trade centered around Rodgers on Monday (April 24). The Packers received three picks in the 2023 NFL Draft, as well as a conditional 2024 second-round pick, which will become a first-rounder if Rodgers plays 65% of the Jets' offensive plays in 2023, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
The Jets also received the Packers' first-round pick and fifth-round pick. On March 15, Rodgers publicly acknowledged his intention to play for the Jets next season, while admitting that he was favoring retirement before going on a darkness retreat.
"Since Friday, my intention was to play and play for the NY Jets," Rodgers said during an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show.
Rodgers met with Jets owner Woody Johnson and a contingent of team representatives in California on March 7. New York had previously acquired Rodgers' predecessor, Brett Favre, in a trade with the Packers in 2008, which led to the eventual four-time NFL MVP taking over as Green Bay's starting quarterback for the remainder of his tenure with the franchise.
In January, Schefter reported that the Jets were "a very real scenario" in a possible trade for Rodgers even prior to the recent hiring of Hackett as offensive coordinator, who had previously held the same position in Green Bay and Rodgers had publicly praised following his hiring as the Denver Broncos' head coach last offseason. Rodgers led the NFL's top scoring offense during the first of two consecutive Associated Press Most Valuable Player award-winning seasons in 2020, both of which took place during Hackett's tenure with the Packers.
Rodgers signed a three-year, $150 million extension with the Packers last offseason amid previous reports of being disgruntled with the franchise. The 39-year-old was coming off back-to-back MVP seasons ahead of the 2022 NFL season, which resulted in Green Bay missing the playoffs after clinching a postseason berth during the previous three consecutive seasons and 11 of the past 13 years.
Rodgers leads all Packers quarterbacks with 475 touchdowns and ranks second in franchise history behind only Favre in QB wins (147), completions (5,001) and passing yards (7,660).