NFL star quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ upcoming book, “Out of the Darkness: The Mystery of Aaron Rodgers,” written by former Post columnist Ian O’Connor, contains more news than we could have ever imagined. This time, it’s about the case in which Jets owner Woody Johnson went to extraordinary lengths to track down Aaron Rodgers.
After the Aaron Rodgers family feud was revealed, the author brought up the “sweet” episode where the Jets owners broke the ice with Aaron Rodgers. When the two met at Rodgers’ Malibu home last summer along with other Jets executives, Johnson brought a surprise gift.
Aaron Rodgers joined the New York Jets after 17 seasons in Green Bay. It was one of the most exciting and talked about moves of the last year. As A-Rod’s relationship with the Green Bay Packers soured, the Jets became his main suitors.
According to the New York Post, Johnson did not arrive empty-handed when they met at Rodgers’ Malibu estate last summer, as described in the book. The 40-year-old quarterback said that Johnson, who previously served as U.S. ambassador to Britain under Donald Trump, gave him “some honey from the Queen’s garden.”
Johnson believed he had the right gift to lure Rodgers to the meeting, and his unique gift actually impressed the quarterback. Rodgers, who is very interested in history, said, “It’s a cool gift.”
According to the royal family website, the late Queen Elizabeth II enjoyed honey from Buckingham Palace’s hives, presenting a jar of this honey to Pope Francis when they first met in 2014. After the queen’s death in 2022, a royal beekeeper even notified the bees of their disappearance, a ritual that folklorist Mark Norman described to the New York Times as “very old and well-established, but not very well known.”
Nine years later, Johnson, who served as U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom during the Trump administration, used his charm to build a relationship with Rodgers, who was disillusioned after 18 years with the Packers.
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In March 2023, Rodgers and his agent David Dunn met privately with Johnson, his brother and vice chairman Christopher Johnson, head coach Robert Saleh, general manager Joe Douglas, offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett and team president Hymie Elhai.
After a grueling five-hour discussion at Aaron Rodgers’ posh Malibu estate, which he reportedly purchased for a whopping $28 million in 2019, the great quarterback made it clear that the New York Jets would be his preferred choice should the Green Bay Packers decide to sell.
Christopher Johnson, the more outgoing of the two brothers, arrived in Malibu before the other club executives and had a private chat with Rodgers, which the Jets found useful. A key NFL official with ties to the Johnsons then questioned whether it was intentional that the nicer brother made the first impression.
The New York Jets have gone to great lengths to ensure the quarterback that plays for them. It has been more than 50 years since the Jets won a Super Bowl and more than 14 years since they even qualified for one. Johnson sought out the veteran quarterback to help him achieve his goal of winning a Super Bowl.
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