After Aaron Rodgers and Brett Favre before him, there might be something in the water when it comes to excellent (if a little self-centered) Packers quarterbacks wavering on deciding the end of their career.
The Rodgers saga — I’m being generous with the use of “saga” — now dates back more than a year. He’s angry with the Packers one day and is in a great place with star teammates like Davante Adams and David Bakhtiari the next. I would forgive you wholeheartedly if you felt like pulling your hair out at trying to decipher any public comment from Rodgers, the way many of us have.
In another Rodgers frozen moment in time, where any bit of non-news can seem noteworthy, the latest development regarding the reigning NFL MVP’s future seems to have a bit more heft to it. It’s narrowed down where he’ll play in 2022. Or not. Where he might be traded. Or not. Who knows when it comes to Rodgers’ mercurial state of mind.
Apparently, the Packers have trades to the Broncos, Titans, and Steelers lined up in case Rodgers wants out of Green Bay. You know, in case he doesn’t make up his mind, which seems to happen all the time, actually.
Aaron Rodgers: famous for making important decisions in a timely fashion.
“… Rodgers has specific deals lined up with other teams — and those teams have trade compensation lined up with the Packers. The potential moves have been arranged, essentially, with the permission of the Packers. The destinations are believed to be exclusively in the AFC. To little surprise, the Broncos are one of them. Other viable possibilities are, we’re told, the Titans and Steelers.
To be clear, if Rodgers chooses Denver or Tennessee, or Pittsburgh, the deals will fall into place quickly, both as to the trade terms and as to the contract Rodgers would sign.”
That’s simple enough. What’s the hold-up? Why do we still not know what uniform Rodgers wears in September for the foreseeable future?
“Thus, as we understand it, the current question isn’t simply Packers vs. Not the Packers. It’s Green Bay or Denver or Tennessee or Pittsburgh, with the final move hinging on whatever Rodgers decides to do.”
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport verified this reporting or at least part of it.
If Rodgers departs the Packers, he’s probably going to Denver, as so many speculate.
From our Scouting Combine coverage: As we await a decision by #Packers QB Aaron Rodgers presumably by Tuesday, the #Broncos have emerged as a prime location for a veteran QB this offseason. pic.twitter.com/eY7Zu1Gwsy
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 5, 2022
Fortunately, if you aren’t a devout Rodgers Whisperer like I am, I’ve got you covered. Essentially all of this information, boiled down into a beat package, claims that Rodgers isn’t deadset on staying in Green Bay and might play in Denver, among other new cities, this off-season. In other words, save for a more definitive Team Name present in discussions, absolutely nothing’s changed since January 2021.
Even still, as has been the case for well over a year now, whatever choice Rodgers makes will have a ripple effect across the rest of the NFL. (I’m sure you’ve read some version of those words before, if not on multiple occasions.)
According to Tipico Sportsbook, the Packers have +1300 odds to win Super Bowl 57 next year. Only the Rams, 49ers, Chiefs, and Bills have more favorable views. With all due respect to Jordan Love, who may well become a fine quarterback whenever Green Bay turns to him, those championship prognostications are hinged entirely on Rodgers continuing to wear Packer green and gold.
Because, by that same token, Rodgers has a healthy +650 odds (third-best to Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen) to win his fifth career MVP in 2022. Those numbers don’t necessarily reflect Rodgers staying in Green Bay. He can definitely play like an MVP in Nashville or Pittsburgh, no question.
It’d be nice, if you were in the Packers’ shoes, to have clarity on whether you’ll have a new quarterback come fall. But Rodgers is, of course, muddling that timeline up. What else is new? Stay tuned for the next update when we learn Rodgers still likes to throw to Davante Adams.
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