NY Jets create cap space ahead of potential Aaron Rodgers trade

The NY Jets have begun the process of creating cap space, and with an Aaron Rodgers trade potentially on the horizon, it has people wondering if the two are correlated.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported on Wednesday that the Jets had converted $4.5 million of tight end C.J. Uzomah's salary into a bonus, thus creating $3.6 million in cap space, in the process.

This lowers Uzomah's 2023 cap hit from $10.3 million to $6.7 million, while the team also added three void years with his signing bonus spread out over five years. The downside to this is that releasing Uzomah after the 2023 season would now cost the Jets $5.9 million in dead cap.

This means it's now more likely that Uzomah will be with the Jets through the 2024 season, although they certainly still can move on after 2023. It also creates much-needed cap space as the Jets prepare for a potential Rodgers trade.

How much cap space do the NY Jets need to create for an Aaron Rodgers trade?

Contrary to what many seem to believe, trading for Rodgers wouldn't significantly hinder the Jets' cap situation in 2023 or 2024. Rodgers would have a cap hit of just $15.79 million in 2023 and $32.54 million in 2024.

His cap situation becomes a bit trickier in 2025, but that isn't going to impact the team in the short term. If anything, this Uzomah restructure was a formality, regardless of the Jets' quarterback intentions.

The Jets are now $1,868,119 under the salary cap, with more moves expected. Linebacker C.J. Mosley and defensive end John Franklin-Myers are both restructure candidates, while players like Corey Davis, Carl Lawson, and Braxton Berrios, among others, could be cap casualties.

The Jets will need to create more cap space over the coming days in order to have the flexibility to make moves in free agency. As for the Rodgers trade, that might still be happening, but the Uzomah restructure doesn't necessarily foreshadow it.

Aaron Rodgers watch continues for the Jets, but this cap-saving move isn't necessarily indicating that a trade is imminent.