


Count Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner as one of the growing number of Jets on Aaron Rodgers watch.
When appearing on a recent live stream with fellow Jets rookies, wide receiver Garrett Wilson and running back Breece Hall, the 22-year-old cornerback remarked that “package deals” may be among the moving pieces to bring the longtime Packers quarterback to New York.
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“It’s package deals all over. I can’t tell y’all who, but just know,” Gardner said Thursday, according to The Athletic.
Though Gardner’s comments are cryptic at best, that hasn’t halted speculation as to who could be included in said “package,” should the Jets acquire Rodgers, 39, in free agency.
Rodgers has established strong bonds with some of his Packers teammates, including tight end Marcedes Lewis, wide receivers Randall Cobb and Allen Lazard, and tackle David Bakhtiari, among others, following the past 18 seasons in Green Bay.
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During a January appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” Rodgers — who has not yet made a decision about his football future — emphasized the importance of friendships within the league.
“This game is about relationships,” Rodgers said, according to Fansided. “It’s about the guys you rely on, even if they don’t show up huge in the stat book.
“A guy like Marcedes Lewis, he’s an important cog in the wheel of the locker room and the momentum of the team. That’s a guy I want to finish my career with, you know? If I’m playing, I want that guy next to me. I want the Randall Cobbs of the world, if he wants to keep playing, in my locker room. Guys you can win with. Allen Lazard, [tight end] Bobby Tonyan, Dave Bakhtiari.”
Cobb, Lewis, Tonyan, and Lazard are all notable free agents this year, according to Spotrac.
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If the Jets can lure Rodgers to the East Coast, the question remains if the quarterback’s presence will be enough to pull free agents to New York.
As one NFL agent recently told The Post, Rodgers is no Tom Brady.
“First, even though he’s a great quarterback, Rodgers doesn’t have as many strong relationships with other players around the league as Brady did,” the source said.
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The insider in question referred to how Brady, 45, enticed pal Rob Gronkowski to come out of retirement in 2020 and compete for a championship in Tampa Bay — bringing the source to their second point.
“Second, he’s only won one Super Bowl to Brady’s seven, so if you start giving up other things in your deal, it’s not for the same level of certainty that you are going to win it all.”
The Jets have had their eyes on Rodgers all offseason in hopes of adding a veteran quarterback following Zach Wilson’s ongoing struggles in year two.
This week, members of the Jets brass, including owner Woody Johnson, flew to California to have a face-to-face meeting with Rodgers, who still could opt for retirement.
When approached by the paparazzi on Tuesday outside of a restaurant in Malibu, Johnson was asked if Rodgers to the Jets was a lock.
“We’ll find out,” the 75-year-old Johnson responded.
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Much like Johnson and top Jets execs, Gardner has also pulled out all of the stops in hopes of recruiting Rodgers to New York.
Earlier this week, Gardner vowed to light his cheesehead hat on fire as the Jets’ pursuit of Rodgers intensified.
“Aye @AaronRodgers12 I promise if you become a Jet, I won’t pick you off in practice & I’ll burn the cheesehead,” he tweeted Tuesday.
Two days later, Gardner — who sported the cheesehead following the Jets’ 27-10 win over Green Bay in October — made good on his promise by lighting the piece on fire.
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“The cheesehead is gone and it’s not coming back,” he said in a YouTube video chronicling the burning.