Aaron Rodgers

Packers Rumors: Rodgers, Love, Lazard

March 5th, 2023 at 12:58pm CST by Rory Parks

We are now 10 days away from the start of the 2023 league year, and there is still no clarity on the Aaron Rodgers situation. In February, a report surfaced indicating that the Packers’ entire power structure is “done with Rodgers” and ready to turn the QB reins over to Jordan Love, while a subsequent report suggested that Green Bay would be amenable to a Rodgers return if the 10-time Pro Bowler is “fully bought in.”

Rodgers’ “darkness retreat,” in which he spent a few days in isolation to consider his future, concluded sometime in the middle of February, but at the end of the month, GM Brian Gutekunst said that he had not yet spoken with Rodgers aside from a few text messages (via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com). And, as Demovsky noted, Gutekunst was noncommittal when asked who his 2023 QB1 will be, which is notable in light of his unequivocally stating in December that he wanted Rodgers back and then deferring to Rodgers’ four MVP honors when asked in January which of his top two passers gives the club the best chance to win.

As of now, the beginning of free agency on March 15 remains the soft deadline for Rodgers to make a decision as to whether he wants to retire, return to the Packers, or be traded, though Gutekunst is still not pushing the franchise icon to clarify his intentions.

Now for more from Titletown:

In the same piece linked above, Gutekunst is quoted as saying that he has not had any specific trade talks concerning Rodgers. We did hear last month that the Jets had “inquired” on Rodgers’ availability, though technically speaking, such an inquiry may not qualify as “trade talks” if actual compensation was not discussed.
Also in Demovsky’s piece, Gutekunst reiterated his belief that Love is ready to be a starting quarterback, and as Tyler Dunne of GoLongTD.com (subscription required) writes, many current Packers players believe the same, just as the team knew Rodgers was ready to take up the mantle from Brett Favre in 2008. All of the Rodgers-related reports that have surfaced in 2023 lend credence to the notion that, while Green Bay may be open to one more year with Rodgers at the helm, it may actually prefer to trade him and begin life with Love.
Moving away from the Packers’ quarterbacks room, free agent-to-be WR Allen Lazard told SiriusXM NFL Radio last month that his agent has had some discussions with team brass about a new contract, but at this point, it sounds as if Lazard will have a chance to test his luck on the open market (audio link). With Davante Adams no longer in the picture, Lazard became more of a focal point of the Green Bay offense in 2022, setting career bests in targets (100), receptions (60), and yards (788). His 60% reception rate was a career low, though Rodgers has said, if he returns to the Packers in 2023, he would want the team to re-sign Lazard.
Another of Rodgers’ favorite targets, WR Randall Cobb, recently underwent ankle surgery, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Cobb, 32, is out of contract, though if he chooses to play in 2023, he will be able to do so without pain.
The Packers recently restructured the contracts of a few high-profile players for salary cap purposes. Per Rapoport, cornerback Jaire Alexander and edge defender Preston Smith both agreed to reworked deals that will open up a little more than $16MM of cap space (Twitter link). Demovsky passes along some details (Twitter links), pointing out that the team added a void year (2027) to the back end of both contracts.
Likewise, ESPN’s Field Yates tweets that the Packers converted roughly $13.8MM of DT Kenny Clark‘s 2023 pay into a signing bonus, thereby opening up a little over $11MM in cap room. Demovsky again offers a complete breakdown of the restructure (via Twitter).

Derek Carr To Meet With Teams At Combine

February 28th, 2023 at 11:55am CST by Sam Robinson

FEBRUARY 28: Providing more detail on Carr’s schedule, Rapoport tweets that at least three teams will speak with him at the Combine. That list includes the Jets and Saints (for what will be a second sit-down with Carr), but also the Panthers. Carolina is set to be in the market for a QB addition of some kind this offseason, with only Matt Corral and Jacob Eason currently under contract for 2023. It was reported last week, however, that the Panthers would not be willing to commit to Carr at the $35MM-per-season rate he is thought to be seeking. The success of his visit could change things, of course, though Carr will have several other suitors even if Carolina elects for less expensive QB options.

FEBRUARY 27: Derek Carr looks to be planning to check off more visits without logging extensive travel mileage. The free agent quarterback is headed to the Combine to meet with teams this week, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (video link).

The 31-year-old passer has met with the Saints and Jets already, and while those teams look like the frontrunners thus far, others have checked in on where he stands presently. The Buccaneers, Commanders, Panthers and Titans have been connected to Carr thus far, though none of these teams have been tied as closely to the nine-year veteran compared to the two he has visited.

A deal that averages more than $35MM per year has come up in the Carr sweepstakes, but Rapoport adds lengthy talks about money have not entered the equation just yet. Carr is prioritizing fit for now. While money will undoubtedly be a key component in where he lands, the former MVP candidate will be unlikely to choose a team with poor competitive prospects. Mostly through the $25MM-per-year extension he inked with the Raiders in 2017, Carr has already banked more than $130MM in his career.

During Carr’s New York visit, Jets brass told the available arm they were monitoring other QBs — including Aaron Rodgers — and let him know where he stood related to the Green Bay icon, according to SI.com’s Albert Breer. With the Jets informing Carr they want to see how the latest Packers-Rodgers offseason saga plays out, this points to the team confirming a previous report of Carr being its second choice.

The Commanders hold a substantial lead in cap space, in terms of Carr suitors, sitting on more than $35MM after cutting Carson Wentz and Bobby McCain. A Daron Payne franchise tag will cut into this figure, and Washington is not believed to be seeking to dive deep into the QB salary pool this year. They certainly were last year, and it is interesting in a year in which Ron Rivera will be on the hot seat he could be willing to go with Sam Howell and/or a lower-priced veteran. The Bucs and Panthers are believed to be in the same boat, and the Saints, despite their restructure-happy ways, still have a long ways to go on this front.

If this lot of teams is unwilling to pay franchise-level money for Carr, it would stand to reason the Jets might be able to land the longtime Raider at a lower-than-expected cost. A clearer picture of where Carr’s market stands will emerge in Indianapolis.

Packers Open To Aaron Rodgers Return?

February 21st, 2023 at 9:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

A rather explosive account regarding the Packers’ interest in Aaron Rodgers remaining their starter in 2023 surfaced over the weekend, and the future Hall of Fame quarterback has not yet informed his team about his intentions to play next season. But a path to stay in Green Bay may well remain viable.

The Packers would like to have Rodgers back, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com said during a Rich Eisen Show appearance (video link), as long as he is fully bought in. The caveat here could be scrutinized, based on the weekend report that indicated Rodgers was not fully bought in last year, but the star quarterback still having a route to being Green Bay’s starter is certainly interesting given his place atop the QB domino set this offseason.

GM Brian Gutekunst deferred to Rodgers’ four MVPs when asked if he believes the incumbent starter still gives the Packers the best chance to win. Gutekunst also said Jordan Love is ready to play. If Rodgers re-emerges from his darkness retreat and tells the Packers he wants out or informs the team he is retiring, Love will finally get the call to start. If Rodgers says he wants to stay, as he did last year, then it becomes complicated. The report from longtime Packers writer Bob McGinn indicated Gutekunst, team president Mark Murphy and HC Matt LaFleur are done with the increasingly outspoken passer.

Rodgers’ past of grudge-holding may well come into play regarding the Packers’ power structure potentially throwing out negative opinions about him, but he also mended fences with Murphy and Gutekunst after his 2021 trade request. Another Rodgers return would stand to further stall Love’s ascent. It should be expected, despite McGinn noting Rodgers returning would be as a Love backup, Rodgers would not be thrust into a quarterback competition if he opted to stay in Green Bay. But if the Packers are truly ready to turn the page, as they did when they transitioned from Brett Favre to Rodgers ahead of the latter’s fourth season back in 2008, it opens the door to Love starting and an odd trade sweepstakes commencing.

The Broncos were the team most closely tied to Rodgers since his trade request became public just before the 2021 draft, but Pelissero adds they would not have sent the Packers the haul they gave the Seahawks because of the uncertainty surrounding Rodgers’ future. While Russell Wilson underwhelmed to a concerning degree in 2022, the Broncos sent the Seahawks the two-first-rounder-fronted package because Wilson expressed no near-future retirement plans. Rodgers’ year-to-year setup will complicate interested teams’ trade proposals.

Interested teams will be less inclined to surrender significant assets if they are unsure Rodgers will play in 2024. Although he is signed through 2025, the 18-year veteran returning in 2023 would seem likely to precede him considering retirement next year as well.

The Jets continue to wait on Rodgers, who is their top choice, and the Raiders have been linked to Rodgers replacing Derek Carr. The ex-Raiders QB and the Jets have mutual interest, and unless the Rodgers trade derby officially takes off soon, the Jets may need to make a choice. Carr also has other suitors, the Saints among them, and Rodgers could have NFC teams pursuing him as well. The Packers would want to send Rodgers to the AFC, and his three-year, $150.8MM contract does not include a no-trade clause. But Rodgers can effectively tell the Packers he will retire unless they send him to his preferred team, putting the NFC — should the QB identify a team he wants to play for in that conference — back in play.

Rodgers’ contract calls for a $58.3MM 2023 guarantee. That can be paid at any point before the season, though the 39-year-old quarterback would need to agree to a reworked contract to facilitate a trade. Presently, the Packers would be tagged with $40MM-plus in dead money if they dealt Rodgers before June 1. This set of moving parts clouds the quarterback market, but a resolution is expected to come soon.

Mutual Interest Between Jets, Derek Carr

February 21st, 2023 at 12:50pm CST by Adam La Rose

With the window for franchise tags opening today, the offseason has hit an important milestone in the build-up to free agency. One prominent name is already on the market, of course, and has a central role to play in this offseason’s quarterback market.

Derek Carr met with the Jets over the weekend, marking his second official visit to a potential new team and first as a free agent. Prior to his release from the Raiders, he visited the Saints, the only team which came to an agreement with Vegas on the matter of trade compensation. His New York sit-down produced positive results, and lends itself to further connections between the two.

Carr’s visit with the Jets was “very positive,” ESPN’s Jeff Darlington noted during a Get Up appearance (Twitter link via Heavy.com’s Paul Esden). Adding further to that sentiment, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network tweets that the summit led to “rave reviews” on both sides, and that interest exists between both team and player with respect to a deal materializing at some point. There remains plenty to be determined before Carr lands in his new NFL home, though.

Confirming what many had expected upon his release, Carr’s brother David said on NFL Total Access that the four-time Pro Bowler will be patient and thorough in his free agent visits. “It’s gonna be a long process,” the elder Carr said, via NFL.com’s Grant Gordon. “He wants to do his due diligence and see as many places as he can to get a feel for what the best place for him will be.”

Carr has the advantage of being able to sign at any time, as opposed to other pending free agents only being eligible to do after the new league year begins in March. He will likely have plenty of suitors, considering the interest reportedly shown by not only the Saints and Jets, but also the Commanders, Titans and Panthers once it became clear that Carr’s tenure with the Raiders was coming to an end. As arguably the top quarterback soon to be on the move — depending on what the future holds for top Jets target Aaron Rodgers –– Carr would be well-suited to weigh all his options before signing anywhere.

The Jets are still waiting on Rodgers, post-darkness, to inform the Packers of his plans, Dianna Russini of ESPN.com tweets, adding the AFC East team would be prepared to speak with Green Bay about its future Hall of Fame quarterback. A weekend report indicated the Packers have soured on Rodgers, opening the door to this third round of offseason trade rumors being the most legitimate.

The manner in which his time in the Silver and Black came to an end (which included him leaving the team upon being benched for the final two weeks of the season) has led some to wonder if Carr could be a poor fit from a personality standpoint. As Connor Hughes of SNY notes, though, the 31-year-old “completely erased” any doubts on that front (video link). With more likely to be known with respect to Rodgers’ intentions soon, it may take a number of weeks before Carr arrives at a decision. Nevertheless, signs continue to point to the Big Apple as a logical landing spot for him.

Latest On Packers, QB Aaron Rodgers

February 18th, 2023 at 12:56pm CST by Ely Allen

With the offseason officially here and many roster changes on the horizon, things could not be rockier in regard to where things stand with the Packers and quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Mike Florio of NBC Sports cited longtime Packers reporter Bob McGinn after his recent podcast appearance with Tyler Dunne in saying that the Packers may be “done with Rodgers.”

“He’s not coming back,” McGinn told Dunne, utilizing his own instincts and information from people with “first-hand knowledge.” “I mean, they’re disgusted with him, and they’re done with him. And they’re moving on.”

If you’re curious who the “they” McGinn is referring to consists of, it’s essentially everybody. McGinn told Dunne that the entire power structure containing CEO Mark Murphy, general manager Brian Gutekunst, and head coach Matt LaFleur are all done with the longtime Packer. Reportedly, they are under the impression that he phoned in the 2022-23 season, thinking he is no longer working hard and that he showed up in less-than-ideal shape after blowing off the offseason training program.

McGinn also noted that the team “fully believes” in former first-round pick Jordan Love and his ability to take over as the full-time starter. McGinn went as far as to assert that even if Rodgers insists on returning to Green Bay, he will do so as Love’s backup. This differs from Gutekunst’s public comments in January, when the veteran GM pointed to Rodgers still giving the Packers the best chance to win. Gutekunst also conveyed that Love was ready to play. A subsequent report indicated the Packers are seriously considering the prospect of a Rodgers trade — to an AFC team — and the all-time great’s weekly conversations with Pat McAfee have continued to circle back to the trade topic.

The situation as it has been illustrated points to an inevitable trade. There is simply no way to move forward together if McGinn’s reporting is accurate. After Rodgers came back following a flirtation with retirement last year, the Packers are apparently ready to take the option out of the four-time MVP’s hands. Unfortunately, the way the situation has deteriorated will make it harder for Green Bay to dictate the terms. Knowing the Packers are done with him will allow other teams to low-ball offers for the future Hall of Famer who turned 39 two months ago.

Regardless, it appears that Rodgers’ time in Wisconsin is coming to an end. Whether he decides to retire or is traded to a team desperate for an upgrade at quarterback, the Packers may well be set to move forward with Love under center.

Latest On Aaron Rodgers’ Timeframe; Jets To Aggressively Pursue Rodgers

February 12th, 2023 at 6:05pm CST by Rory Parks

6:05pm: In a move which comes as no surprise at all given previous reporting on the matter, Fowler tweets that the Jets have indeed “inquired” about Rodgers’ availability. The answer to that question will, of course, be dictated by his decision regarding his intention of playing in 2023, but if a trade becomes possible, the Jets will be the team to watch.

8:10am: For Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, all options remain on the table: he may return to the Packers in 2023, he may ask to be traded, or he may retire. The 39-year-old said during his appearance on The Pat McAfee Show this past week that he will contemplate his future during a four-day, four-night “darkness retreat,” which will commence after today’s Super Bowl (via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com).

Rodgers said he will retreat to a small house in an undisclosed location, and his only contact with the outside world will come when his meals are delivered. While recent reports have suggested that Rodgers will play in 2023 rather than walk away from an eye-popping amount of money, Rodgers told McAfee that retirement is a very real possibility.

“For sure; it’s a real thing, 100 percent,” Rodgers said. “That’s why it’s going to be important to get through this week and to take my isolation retreat and just to be able to contemplate all things my future and then be able to make a decision that I think is best for me moving forward and in the highest interest of my happiness and then move forward.”

The implication here is that Rodgers will alert the Packers of his decision shortly after his retreat, though team president Mark Murphy confirms that there is no deadline at this point (video link via ESPN’s Dianna Russini). Murphy acknowledged that the club would like an answer sooner rather than later, and he expects to have clarity on the matter no later than the opening of free agency on March 15.

Several Packers sources tell Connor Hughes of SNY.tv (video link) that they expect Rodgers to return to Green Bay. However, Hughes and the NFL.com duo of Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero report that, no matter what the four-time MVP wants to do, the Packers will accommodate his wishes.

That means, of course, that if Rodgers decides he wants to play for another team — which may actually be Green Bay’s preference — the Packers will work with him to make that happen (though Rodgers would need to first agree to a reworked contract in order to allow a trade to be consummated). While Green Bay reportedly will not deal its franchise icon to an NFC club, there will nonetheless be multiple suitors.

The Jets and Raiders have already been linked to Rodgers in various reports, and ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler says he is “more convinced than ever” that New York will aggressively pursue Rodgers (subscription required). The Jets believe that they are close to contention, and they have locked in on Rodgers as Plan A. Only if a Rodgers pursuit is unsuccessful will the team pivot to Derek Carr, whom Fowler says is Gang Green’s No. 2 choice.

Aaron Rodgers Addresses Latest Trade Rumors, Jets’ Nathaniel Hackett Hire

January 31st, 2023 at 2:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

During the first round of Aaron Rodgers trade rumors, the source rarely provided insight about his situation. With Rodgers now having a weekly radio spot, his status is never far off the radar. The 18-year Packers quarterback had more news to address Tuesday.

A weekend report from ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter indicated the Packers would prefer to move on from Rodgers. This would mean giving another team responsibility of the $58.3MM bonus, which can be paid at any point this offseason, but also taking on a substantial dead-money hit — should a trade occur before June 1 — and committing to seeing what Jordan Love has to offer.

Rodgers is well aware of the conversations occurring among Packers brass, per Schefter, and the 39-year-old superstar certainly seemed to confirm as such. “It sounds like there’s already conversations going on that aren’t involving me, which are interesting,” Rodgers said during his latest Pat McAfee Show interview (via ESPN’s Rob Demovsky). This response also came to question that did not specifically address the Schefter report.

The Jets’ Nathaniel Hackett OC hire also did plenty to fuel speculation Rodgers could be headed out of Green Bay. Again offering praise for Hackett — the Packers’ OC from 2019-21 — Rodgers said (via ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini) the former Green Bay assistant was among his favorites. Robert Saleh downplayed the Rodgers-Hackett connection, as should be expected, but the Jets are evaluating Rodgers, Derek Carr and Jimmy Garoppolo.

Rodgers reiterated he has not made a decision about returning but pointed to one of the two decisions on his plate — seemingly calls on playing and staying with the Packers — being made in “a couple weeks.” Carr, Garoppolo and Rodgers could all be available at different points on the calendar — Carr in February, Garoppolo in March and Rodgers potentially in June, when a trade would be less financially punishing for the Packers — adding an interesting wrinkle to this year’s QB market.

Green Bay moving on this offseason would be eerily similar territory, especially with New York being in the equation again. The Packers have used Rodgers as their starter since trading Brett Favre to the Jets in August 2008. The Jets have not acquired a franchise-caliber veteran since that Favre deal, which was only for a conditional third-round pick. Rodgers is expected to command more in a deal. Favre turned 39 shortly after being dealt to the Jets; Rodgers turned 39 last month. Love is going into his fourth season, just as Rodgers was in 15 years ago.

The Packers’ direction will also influence their decision on keeping Rodgers, who mentioned five players — David Bakhtiari, Randall Cobb, Allen Lazard, Robert Tonyan and Marcedes Lewis — as those he wants as teammates. All but Bakhtiari are free agents. Cobb and Lewis’ statuses with the Packers almost certainly depend on Rodgers’, Demovsky adds. Both vets likely will not return to the team if Rodgers is not back. Bakhtiari is due a $9.5MM roster bonus on the third day of the 2023 league year and is set to carry a $28.9MM cap number. Bakhtiari should be expected to return on a restructured deal, per Demovsky. The former All-Pro left tackle said he is not planning to retire, and Brian Gutekunst said he expects the 10-year veteran to be back.

Latest On Jets’ QB Pursuit

January 29th, 2023 at 7:20pm CST by Adam La Rose

Since the Jets’ 2022 season crashed to a halt amidst their quarterback struggles, they are widely expected to be active in pursuing a veteran addition at the position. The team has been very public about doing so, and clarity could be emerging with respect to the names they are targeting.

CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones reports that New York is “evaluating” Aaron Rodgers, Jimmy Garoppolo and Derek Carr. While he adds that the process is in its early stages, meaning more names will no doubt be added to that list, it comes as little surprise that those three are included in it. Rodgers was mentioned as a trade candidate for the Jets even before Nathaniel Hackett became the team’s new offensive coordinator, but increasingly so due to their connection with one another dating back to the latter’s time with the Packers.

Garoppolo was widely thought to be on his way out of San Francisco last offseason with the team turning its offense over to Trey Lance, but he ultimately remained on a re-worked contract. Now a pending free agent, he would not require trade compensation (as would be the case with Rodgers). His play after taking over for Lance appeared to help his value on the open market, but the 31-year-old then suffered what was initially believed to be a season-ending ankle injury. He may have been able to return in time for the Super Bowl, though the result of today’s NFC title game now makes that a moot point.

As for Carr, his days in Vegas are thought to be numbered, as the three-time Pro Bowler personally alluded to recently. He has begun doing “homework” on potential landing spots in a trade (since he has a no-trade clause), though the possibility remains that he get released and chooses his next team as a free agent.

That trio of passers is also one which Tony Pauline of Pro Football Network lists as targets for the Jets. New York showed signs of being a playoff contender in 2022 with a strong defense in particular, and a number of encouraging performances with a healthy Mike White at the helm of their offense. Interestingly, Pauline notes that “several” Jets players implored general manager Joe Douglas during their exit interviews to move on from Zach Wilson as their starting QB, in addition to firing offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur.

The latter move has already taken place, with Hackett now set to play a role in identifying the team’s top options to provide stability at the position relative to Wilson’s inconsistencies (although Pauline also notes that owner Woody Johnson still sees the 2021 No. 2 pick as salvageable). As the QB market takes shape, the Jets are sure to be key players in the case of several veteran passers.

Robert Saleh Addresses Nathaniel Hackett Hire, Aaron Rodgers Connection

January 27th, 2023 at 12:01pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Jets have their Mike LaFleur replacement in place after Thursday’s decision to hire Nathaniel Hackett as their new offensive coordinator. That move immediately led to speculation that it could be followed in the near future by the acquisition of Aaron Rodgers.

New York is indeed expected to add a veteran passer this offseason in the wake of Zach Wilson‘s struggles, and a clear connection exists between Hackett and the future Hall of Famer. The pair worked together in Green Bay between 2019 and 2021, a period during which Hackett did not call plays but still played a role in the team’s (and Rodgers’) shared success. Head coach Robert Saleh denied Hackett’s background with the Packers – and his potential importance with respect to securing Rodgers via a trade – played a role in his hire, though.

“It doesn’t matter what the connections are,” Saleh said, via Brian Costello of the New York Post. “Everyone’s got a connection to everybody in this league. The most important thing was finding a guy who we felt could continue developing our young guys at a very high level and a guy who has done it before, a guy who has had success in this league with a variety of different quarterbacks.”

Hackett has indeed worked with several different signal-callers dating back to his time as a play-caller in Buffalo and Jacksonville. While those stints did not result in much success (save for the 2017 Jaguars’ run to the AFC title game), the 43-year-old represents at least a somewhat reasonable hire given his track record prior to his disastrous foray into a head coaching role in Denver last year.

The Broncos were long connected to Rodgers given not only Hackett’s hire, but the presence of a strong defense and several intriguing skill-position pieces on the roster. The exact same can be said of the Jets at this point, as they boast a number of high-end defenders, a strong running game and a pass-catching corps led by Offensive Rookie of the Year finalist Garrett Wilson.

Rodgers is once again at the heart of trade speculation, though it still remains to be seen if he will play in 2023, and how willing the Packers would be to move on from him. The four-time MVP is due $58.3MM option bonus this year, and it can be paid at any before the season begins. But a team trading for Rodgers would have the opportunity to roster him on merely a $15.8MM cap hit in 2023. Even after a down season statistically, Rodgers would also likely command a hefty trade price from the Jets or any other interested team. In light of that, Saleh doubled down on his support for Hackett being his preferred choice to guide the team’s status quo on offense.

“When it came back to a certain checklist that I was trying to go through, just checking boxes on what we were looking for in regard to this next offensive coordinator, I just kept circling back to him,” Saleh said. “He checks every box of what we were looking for. I’m really, really excited about being able to get Nathaniel here.”

Latest On Packers, Aaron Rodgers

January 25th, 2023 at 10:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

The first two rounds of this long-running Aaron Rodgers-Packers drama produced fireworks — particularly in the 2021 offseason — but no separation. Although Rodgers headlines have been an NFL constant for the past three years, round three is upon us.

After two years of Rodgers and the Packers standing down and finding common ground, the two sides are cognizant the long-rumored divorce may finally come to fruition. The Packers trading Rodgers at some point this offseason is a “very real scenario,” Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (video link).

A deal would be complicated, due to Rodgers’ complex extension agreed to in March 2022, and it would not be expected to involve NFC suitors. The Packers should only be expected to send the four-time MVP to the AFC, Schefter adds (video link). Rodgers was linked to AFC teams — primarily the Broncos — for two offseasons, but he patched things up with the Packers two years ago and signed the three-year, $150.8MM extension months later. Denver moved on, via the Russell Wilson trade, but other AFCers will be interested if Rodgers truly becomes a trade chip.

Rodgers, 39, is owed a $58.3MM bonus payment this year, and while the future Hall of Famer said he has not committed to playing a 19th season, it would be fairly surprising if he walked away given the money in this equation. Structured as an option bonus, the monster payout only translates to a $31.6MM cap hit — if Rodgers is a Packer in 2023. If Rodgers is dealt, however, the team acquiring the superstar passer would have him on its books at just $15.79MM in 2023. That stands to increase the aging QB’s trade value.

Because the option can be paid at any point before the season, the Packers have months to decide on a trade. Though, Rodgers being dealt early would stand to help him acclimate to his next team and give the Packers more time to prepare for Love’s first starter season. The Packers would be best served to trade their current starter after June 1, when the dead-money hit would be just $15.8MM (along with a $24.5MM charge in 2024). A pre-June 1 trade would tag the Pack with $40.3MM dead-cap hit.

Rodgers said a contract adjustment would need to happen for him to play in 2023, citing the near-$60MM bonus, but he is open to making such a move to accommodate the Packers or another team.

“There’s a lot of teams, because of COVID, that are strapped, and you’re seeing with a lot of different contracts, they’re pushing more money out in deals,” Rodgers said during his latest Pat McAfee Show appearance (via ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky). “They’re creating void years to allow for an easier cap hit, so there would have to be some adjustments, for sure.”

Matt LaFleur said he wants Rodgers back, and Brian Gutekunst did not entertain the prospect of a trade earlier this month. But the sixth-year GM noted Jordan Love is ready to play. Green Bay must decide on the former first-rounder’s fully guaranteed 2024 option by May. Gutekunst said a scenario in which the team rolls out a Rodgers-Love depth chart for a fourth straight year is in play, but a trade would both clear a Love path and arm the Packers with valuable draft capital. The Packers should be expected to ask for at least two first-round picks, Peter King of NBC Sports writes.

Of course, the Packers would run the risk of a steep drop in QB quality by trading Rodgers. The franchise has rostered Hall of Fame-bound talents at the position since 1992. It did, however, execute the Brett Favre-to-Rodgers handoff — a clunky but effective baton pass that occurred ahead of Favre’s age-39 season — by trading Favre to the Jets during training camp in 2008. Rodgers turned 39 last month. The 15-year Packers starter dropped from first in QBR in 2021 to 26th this season. Green Bay’s diminished receiver situation contributed to that dip — during a season that included zero 300-yard passing performances, along with thumb, knee and rib injuries — but Rodgers’ value might not be what it was when the trade topic first surfaced ahead of the 2021 draft.

A no-trade clause is not present in Rodgers’ contract, but he would certainly be signing off on his destination before the Packers moved him. The Jets, who traded for Favre during owner Woody Johnson‘s ownership tenure, have long been connected to acquiring a veteran. The Raiders have been linked to reuniting Josh McDaniels with Tom Brady or Jimmy Garoppolo, but they were linked to Rodgers two years ago. Receiver-wise, the Titans situation reminds of Rodgers’ Green Bay setup. But they make some sense as a suitor as well. A few teams will be interested, and if Rodgers is an AFC-only trade piece, it increases Derek Carr‘s odds of being dealt to an NFC team. However, Carr and Garoppolo are set to be available in February and March, respectively. It may take longer for a team to land Rodgers.

The Pack taking their time on a Rodgers trade, for money-defraying purposes, would put potential suitors to major decisions. While franchises will want to solidify their QB situations by April, the latest round of Rodgers trade rumblings may dominate yet another offseason.

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