Here’s how Aaron Rodgers’ injury impacts the NFC North

Chicago Bears fans are understandably upset over how the 2023 season started. The 38-20 loss to the Green Bay Packers was hard to watch, but as the New York Jets proved on Monday night, it can always be worse.

Hall-of-Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles on his first possession as a Jet, ending his 2023 season that began with Super Bowl aspirations.

Imagine being a Jets fan right now. Brutal.

The Bears’ history with Rodgers isn’t great. He’s been the “Bear killer” over the last 15 years, but it still sucks to see such a great player suffer a severe injury this late in his career. Bears fans finally had a chance to enjoy Rodgers’ greatness without the lump in their throat that comes along with watching him at Lambeau Field. Now, that chance is lost.

What’s also lost from this injury is the Packers getting enriched with a first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. As a condition of the trade between Green Bay and New York, Rodgers had to play at least 65% of the snaps for the Jets in 2023 for the Packers to get a first-rounder.

He played a total of four.

With Aaron Rodgers done for the season, the Jets now will owe the Packers a second-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Rodgers had to play 65 percent of the snaps this season for the Packers to get the Jets’ 2024 first-round pick. He played four plays.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 12, 2023

The 2024 NFL Draft will be another important one for the Chicago Bears, who have two first-round picks: their own and the Carolina Panthers’. With Aaron Rodgers’ season being over, the Bears will be the only team in the NFC North with two first-round picks, for now.

Subscribe to The Bears Talk Podcast: APPLE | SPOTIFY | GOOGLE