The 57th Super Bowl might not happen for a few more weeks. But 28 of the NFL’s 32 teams are already well into their offseason. And for more than a few of them, that probably means going after someone else’s starting quarterback, which has become the biggest story in the league in recent springs.
This year, that could mean getting the only player in the NFL who has won the award four times. No, not Tom Brady. Aaron Rodgers, to be exact.
And yes, it seems like it’s becoming more likely that he’ll be moving. A lot of this is because the longtime Green Bay Packers star has been talking about it.
“People want to say that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. Aaron Rodgers said on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Tuesday, “I always say the grass is green where you water it.”
“Change is inevitable in this line of work. It’s just how things are. I think it’s important to be open to change and accept it, no matter what it looks like, if you want to be at peace with the choice you have to make.
Aaron Rodgers told McAfee before that he thought 2022 was an outlier because it was coming off what was likely the worst of his 15 seasons as the Pack’s QB1.
“Am I good enough to play well? Yeah. He said, “The most.” “I think that, in the right situation, I could win MVP again. Right situation? Is that Green Bay, or is it somewhere else? I don’t know for sure, but I don’t think you should pass up any chance.”
If the Packers wanted to get rid of Rodgers, they would have to trade him because letting him go would cost them $100 million in 2023. A deal would bring that number down to a more manageable $40 million, especially since Green Bay would have to start over anyway, since Aaron Rodgers would be owed $59.5 million by whichever team he plays for in 2023, whether it’s the Packers or another team.
Most of that money, or $58.3 million, can be paid out as a bonus at any time before the 2023 season starts. Even though that makes it possible for Rodgers, who is 39, to move, he has already said he is willing to negotiate that number, since very few teams can afford to add nearly $60 million to their payroll this year.
Rodgers said, “I don’t think there’s any way I’d come back and that would be the number.” “Things would have to change for sure.”
But Rodgers’s comment seems to be another sign that he might be willing to change his NFL address, if he keeps playing at all. But he’s already said he doesn’t want to be a part of a rebuild, and he’d understand if Green Bay decided to go with Jordan Love, the team’s first-round pick in 2020, at quarterback instead.
“I understand that if I want to keep playing, I should be open to the idea that it might be somewhere else,” Rodgers said. “I can see why they might want to move on and hire younger people in some positions. Part of it is that.”
So, if Aaron Rodgers continues his career somewhere other than Wisconsin, where could he play a leading role? Here are what seem to be nine likely trade destinations, from least likely to most likely:
