Dan Orlovsky didn’t hold back when discussing the Jets trade for Aaron Rodgers.

Dan Orlovsky on one side breathing fire, Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson on the other side with the big eyes emoji over their faces

Aaron Rodgers’ debut season with the New York Jets lasted a total of four snaps before he suffered a torn Achilles and was forced to miss the rest of the year. Rodgers is healthy and ready to go for the Jets heading into the 2024 campaign, but he is going to have some lofty expectations surrounding him, even as he returns from this serious injury.

New York gave up quite a bit in their trade for Rodgers over the 2023 offseason, and while he can’t control his injury history, he’s going to have to begin delivering for his new team in order for the deal to be worth it. If he cannot do that, ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky believes that the Jets trade for Rodgers will end up looking just as bad as the Denver Broncos ill-fated move for Russell Wilson.

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“The Russell Wilson trade for the Denver Broncos is widely viewed as one of the worst trades in the history of the NFL. If this doesn’t go well for [Aaron Rodgers] and the Jets, it’s in the conversation for being one of the worst trades.” —Dan Orlovsky

The pressure is on for Jets, Aaron Rodgers to succeed

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) looks back during training camp at Atlantic Health Jets Training Center.Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
The Broncos traded two first-round picks, two second-round picks, a fifth-round pick, Drew Lock, Shelby Harris, and Noah Fant for Wilson and a fourth-round pick. Wilson never figured things out with Denver, though, and just two years after he signed a five-year, $245 million extension with the team, they ended up releasing him.

New York didn’t give up nearly as much to acquire Rodgers given that he’s older than Wilson, but they still had to give up a first, second, and sixth round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, and a conditional second-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, in exchange for Rodgers, a first-round pick, and a fifth-round pick. Given how little Rodgers has done, though, that investment hasn’t proven to be worthwhile to this point.

This is a pretty bold take from Orlovsky for several different reasons, though. For one, injuries happen, so it’s not like Rodgers is going out and playing poorly. And two, when looking at the trade packages involved for these quarterbacks, it isn’t really comparable. Even if Rodgers flames out, that trade won’t have aged as poorly as the Wilson one did.

There’s no doubt that the pressure is on for Rodgers and the Jets to deliver in 2024, but to compare this trade to the Wilson trade doesn’t make much sense. The Broncos future is torched because of Wilson, and while New York would be in some trouble if Rodgers struggles, their situation isn’t nearly as dire as Denver’s. Orlovsky highlights the pressure that Rodgers and the Jets face, but this take is way off the mark.