After Green Bay's disappointing playoff loss to San Francisco in the divisional round, the last hopes Packers' fans had for retaining their star QB evaporated and the speculation on what's next for Rodgers began.
Up until that punt got tipped and San Francisco’s special teams scored a touchdown in the fourth quarter, I think a majority of football people expected Rodgers to stay in Green Bay despite all the complaining about his situation over the last few years. Rodgers loves attention, and he has certainly received that with his off-the-field controversies concerning CoVid among other things. Being swept out of the playoffs again despite being a top seed pretty much put the seal on Rodger's departure from Green Bay, and the preseason arrangement made to get Rodgers into the facility will now be tested.
Where will Rodgers go? The answer is complicated, because Rodgers is still under contract with Green Bay through the 2022 season, so he will have to be traded. Green Bay has maintained they will not deal him to an NFC team for any price (rumors are, they turned down multiple first round picks and Jimmy Garappolo from the 49ers prior to the 2021 NFL Draft).
Rodgers has maintained that he will retire if Green Bay attempts to trade him to a team he doesn't want to play for. To get the disgruntled quarterback off of "Jeopardy" and back in the facility last summer, an undisclosed agreement was reached between the two sides that presumably included giving Rodgers some control over his landing spot, depending on how the season went. Rodgers is in the twilight of his career and his goal is winning Super Bowls before retirement, so he needs a team built to win now.
He also needs a team with the cap space to sign him to a long-term deal. So, let's recap: an AFC team that is really good, just needs a QB to be a contender, and has the cap space to get a large deal done after 2022. That severely narrows our landing spots, to just five.
Denver Broncos
Denver has long been rumored as a possible future for Rodgers, only solidified by the Broncos recent hiring of ex-Green Bay offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett as their new head coach. Under previous head coach Vic Fangio, the Denver defense has become one of the best in the league, complimenting a top ten rushing attack offensively. Where Denver has struggled lies through the air, and some could argue winning seven games in their division last year was quite the feat considering the bottom-barrel quarterback play they got out of Teddy Bridgewater and Drew Lock.
A Rodgers-to-Denver trade would likely involve several first round picks, and a young player. No one is off-limits when talking about acquiring a star quarterback, but rumors have involved one of their wide receivers (Courtland Sutton or Jerry Jeudy). Standout rookie defensive back Pat Surtain II is also someone Green Bay may target in the negotiations.
The glaring reason Rodgers would not want to join the Broncos is simple: Pat Mahomes. If you are trying to win some championships in a new city, with an expiration date on your career approaching, why would he want to go play Mahomes twice and Herbert twice just to get to the playoffs? There are other options on this list that provide him an easier path to the playoffs, at least, than Denver can offer.
Indianapolis Colts
The Colts make the most sense for Rodgers in the AFC for me. They have the cap space and clearly just showed they are a QB away from being a true contender. The whole idea of trading for Carson Wentz was hoping he was enough to get their roster over the top, but that backfired and Indy is primed to make another push for a elite quarterback. Teams like Denver and Indianapolis are in “win-now” mode and aren’t interested in developing a quarterback if they can avoid it. Cue Rodgers, and the Colts are likely a #1 seed in the AFC in 2022.
The most attractive thing about Indianapolis to Rodgers would be the division itself. Much like the weak NFC North opponents he has enjoyed much of his career, the AFC South offers an easy path to a division title where he can focus on the true goal, which is largely beating Mahomes and the other young elite contenders in the playoffs.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh, like Green Bay, is one of the historic franchises of the NFL and coincidentally just lost its quarterback to retirement. They also have the cap space and possible trade pieces such as TJ Watt to acquire Rodgers, although you would think Watt would be a large part of what makes Pittsburgh attractive to the veteran.
It‘s impossible to tell what Aaron Rodgers is thinking, but we know his last years in the NFL will be all about cementing his legacy. Peyton Manning won championships with Indianapolis and Denver, Brady with New England and Tampa, but Super Bowl victories for two mammoth franchises like Green Bay and Pittsburgh is something unprecedented in football history. Not to mention, Pittsburgh has the framework and coaching of a contender already, shown by their unlikely postseason bid in 2021.
Las Vegas Raiders
I haven’t heard a ton of buzz about Las Vegas and a potential Rodgers trade, but they make the list because of the shakeups occurring out there in the desert. Much like Los Angeles and the Stafford situation, Vegas is the midst of a re-branding and the addition of a star player like Rodgers to the franchise is the Commissioner’s wet dream.
Also intriguing is the recent hire of Patriots executive Dave Ziegler as the new Las Vegas GM, followed quickly by the addition of Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels as the head coach. The success experienced by McDaniels’ offense in the Tom Brady era, compounded with the recent dividends paid with rookie Mac Jones, could be very attractive to Aaron Rodgers.
A deal sending Rodgers to Vegas would also be enticing for both sides because the trade would involve moving Raiders QB Derek Carr to Green Bay, giving the franchise a fighting chance at the position moving forward in the post-Rodgers era. Rodgers has expressed a desire to leave Green Bay in the best possible situation he can, and a Las Vegas trade could be just the offer his front office is looking for.
Cleveland Browns
Cleveland is merely on this list because they have the cap space, a great team overall, and they really hate Baker Mayfield. No rumors fluttering about, just a cursory check around the AFC and Cleveland is in a place to ship Mayfield to Green Bay and instantly be a top seed, vying for Super Bowls over the next several seasons. I don’t think Cleveland is a place Rodgers would be willing to go to however, so if this transpires I would be very surprised. I would not be surprised, however, to see Cleveland making offers for the veteran.
The Timeline
One thing Rodgers has been clear about: he doesn’t want this to drag out, and it seems Green Bay is in agreement. His departure from the Packers is all but certain, and with the NFL Scouting Combine approaching in early March we could hear real news about possible offers as early as the beginning of the new league year February 22nd. Until then, we will keep our ears to the ground and await more rumors from the loose lips of NFL front offices.
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