While the full-on stalemate between the Packers and Aaron Rodgers did not surface until last week, it has simmered throughout the offseason. Rodgers appears to have prepared teammates for his departure before that.
Following the Packers’ Jordan Love pick, Rodgers wondered if his plan of finishing his career in Green Bay was realistic. During the 2020 season, the decorated quarterback informed Packers free agents-to-be he was unlikely to play for the team in 2021, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com notes (video link).
The Broncos, Raiders and 49ers surfaced last week as acceptable Rodgers destinations, and he is believed to have briefed those teammates of this list of teams, per Garafolo. This did not end up leading to a Packer exodus, however. Longtime Rodgers blindside blocker David Bakhtiari signed a record extension to stay in Green Bay in November, and Aaron Jones agreed to a new deal just ahead of free agency. Of course, money obviously played the central role in these big-ticket deals. But both cornerstone Packers signed despite potentially knowing they could be playing for a team in transition in 2021.
[RELATED: Broncos To Aggressively Pursue Aaron Rodgers?]
Rodgers’ former teammates, however, are split on the notion he will leave. James Jones and John Kuhn do not believe this situation has passed the point of no return. The 37-year-old QB wants the Packers to better position themselves for a Super Bowl, per Jones, who added that Rodgers does not need GM Brian Gutekunst to be fired to return (Twitter link). Kuhn, who has spoken with Rodgers since this impasse became public, said the quarterback’s appreciation for the Packer franchise and his having seen Brett Favre‘s messy exit has caused him to be “conflicted” regarding his own apparent exit strategy, via J.R. Radcliffe of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Favre, on the other hand, sees his ex-backup as entrenched in his position. The future Hall of Famer should not be expected move to mend the rift between he and team management, per Favre, who said during an appearance on ESPN Wisconsin’s Wilde & Tausch (via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com) he expects Rodgers to be elsewhere next season. Rodgers sitting out the season would be preferable to his returning to the Packers under unfavorable circumstances, Favre adds. Rodgers has also spoken with Favre since this matter became public, having replied, “I’ll touch base with you after all this is over,” to a Favre text.
The Broncos have emerged as the team most closely connected to the three-time MVP thus far, and prospective trade packages are surfacing. Two first-round picks and a second should be required for the Broncos to land Rodgers, league sources informed Denver7’s Troy Renck, who adds the team would likely need to give up at least one key player in the deal. While Denver now has surpluses at wide receiver and cornerback, with Courtland Sutton set to return from injury and the team loading up at corner this offseason, Renck notes the team will likely fight to keep first-round pick Patrick Surtain II out of a prospective trade offer. Of Denver’s four top corners, Surtain certainly profiles as the highest-value player.
So in other words, no new news.
Exactly!
Is any of this even real? Or just speculation from Adam ESPN had no sources.
Besides Elway (former #1 overall pick), the Broncos have never been able to develop a franchise QB. They bought two super bowl appearances with Manning & Co., so trading for A-A-Rod and giving him top dollar would be par for the course in Denver.
Was Morton the actual last good QB that Denver drafted? Elway wasn’t drafted by Denver afterall
Morton was drafted by Dallas.
So has Denver ever actually drafted a quality NFL QB?
Didn’t they draft Cutler?
Quality not potential.
Yep, they drafted Cutler and were smart enough to get rid of him.
I don’t believe Denver has. They have, however, had pretty good luck with acquired QBs, more than maybe any other team: Elway, Manning, Morton, Plummer…
Denver makes the most sense, barring GB willing to send him to the NFC.
Raiders are better than Denver. Also Derek carr is better than drew lock.
No they’re, not because think of it this way the Raiders are only $5 million under the cap and in order to make this trade would have to trade value as well as finance to be able to take on Rodgers which means not only trading 2 1st round picks they’d have to trade Carr, Waller and one of your receivers. Not to mention Carr is on a multi year deal and the Packers want to move onto Love in about a year and the Raiders defense ranked close to the bottom of the league. Rodgers would be worse of than going to a Denver team that has nearly 30 million in cap space and can trade Bridgewater which is on a one year deal can mentor then Love can take over. Plus they can give WR Patrick who had over 1000 yards last year and one of their starting cornerbacks. Rodgers would still have more than enough targets to keep him happy plus a top 5 defense.
Again your logic is lacking. They actually said love isn’t ready and carr is only on a 2 year deal at a bargain. If packers are for moving on raiders are a better team to go to. 8-8 last year and beat kc with carr, Broncos stink on both sides of the ball and have a garbage line.
The Broncos have a much better defense than the Raiders right now. Besides, neither Carr or Bridgewater are anything close to what the Packers would want.. Which makes this a moot point- The Packers will let him retire before they trade away their golden goose.
Dude what are you smoking nearly every opinion that matters know the Broncos are only a good QB away from a serious Super Bowl run. Say no to crack next time
You do realize that as of today the Broncos defense is ranked 8th in the league and the Raiders aren’t even in the top 20.
If GB does trade him, Gutekunst might as well fire himself. The fans will never forgive him for 1) stupidly taking Love last year and 2) pissing off your HOF QB to the point he left your team right after his MVP season.
I still think it’ll take 3 firsts and a marquee young player to get him….and some team will end up offering that.
While picking Love in the draft certainly justifies questions, “pissing off your QB” certainly isn’t.
Who knew your HOF QB was going to go full blown prima donna!
I mean if they would’ve talked to him about it beforehand, then they would’ve known. Even the Bears let Dalton know they were drafting Fields. Yet you can’t do that for one of the greatest of all time? And I thought the Bears front office was bad.
Who knew? Every packers fan ever.
Most football fans. Rodgers is a classic narcissist.
He obviously wanted a receiver. It would make the team better. They reached for his replacement (a questionable replacement at best, at that). I think they knew how Rodgers would react. He’s self-obsessive and arrogant, but he’s right.
Deja vu. As with the last QB change, winning will smooth things over with fans.
It’s mind blowing that these QB’s think teams can’t look to the future without them Brady w/ Jimmy G, Montana w/ Young, Farve w/ Rodgers, and now Rodgers it’s so true that QB’s are pre-madonna’s
If you think Rodgers’ problem with the Packers is just Love, you aren’t paying attention.
That’s certainly better than post-Madonnas. (Although she is still kind of hot.)
Awwwcacacha
I still have to wonder if Rodgers would really want to end up in Denver. They are more than a QB away from being a real threat when they already have KC in the division.
Wouldn’t surprise me is if Denver acquires Rodgers that Vegas makes a big push for Watson.
Nobody can, realistically, trade for Watson until his legal situation is resolved.
I know I wouldn’t trade him for less than 3 1sts, 1-2 2nds, and a valuable young player or two. For example, Denver would have to give me their next 3 1sts, next years 2nd, Grant Bolles, and Patrick Surtain. After the Miami trade of future draft choices, SF does not have the ammo to make a trade for Rodgers. If a team gives up what it will truly take, good luck being a contender afterwards. If not, you are best off just letting him retire.
I agree with you, although I’m not sure any team pays up that much, but my added thinking is I want a fistful like your proposal because any team is pretty much a quality playoff team with Rodgers, so much so that the 1st rounders will be back at the bottom of the draft each year. Rarely is there impact players at 29, (as the Packers have found out year after year, lol) To trade arguably a top QB in the league controlled for 3 years the return HAS to be impactful with impactful players, not just a bunch of starters. Otherwise you just end up in 7-9, 8-8 hell for years waiting for the chance to blow 3 first rounders away on a possible franchise QB (see Bears history on how that works out a lot, lol)
Exactly. With Rodgers, those picks have a strong chance to be in the last 1/4-1/3 of the 1st rd. If Green Bay gets lucky, Rodgers will get injured, and those picks will be higher, but you can not count on that.
Kahlil Mack was a good move. It was the Trubisky draft that screwed them. But I wouldn’t be too smug about them. I think Fields is gonna be around for awhile.
Funny hearing packers fans delusion. Rodgers can just retire if he doesn’t get the trade he wants. He has all the leverage. Then packers are left with nothing. Your not getting 3 Firsts for a 37 year old qb making 38 million a year.
If you don’t think Rodgers is worth WAY more than 3 1st rd draft picks, and much more, you are not thinking straight. If I was Pittsburgh, New Orleans, shoot a number of teams, I would do that without even blinking. Getting one of the top 3 QB’s in the game, who had recently stated he wanted to play into his 40’s, is worth more than 3, most likely, late 1st rd draft choices. It would make almost any team in the NFL an instant contender. I, certainly, wouldn’t give him away for less. The fans will hang you A LOT less in the future if he just decides to retire(he’ll look more like the bad guy), than they will if you trade him for a bag of popcorn, and then they watch him put up ridiculous #’s and or win a SB. FYI, I am not a Packers fan.
You are apparently not a Steelers fan, either, or you wouldn’t have included them in your comment. Pittsburgh mgt wouldn’t give up 3 1st rd picks for God the Father Almighty.
I know Pittsburgh would, probably, not do this deal, but I would in a heartbeat if I was them(and could somehow work it out with their cap situation). I am a Steeler fan. I would give those picks in a heartbeat for Rodgers. Roth is done. He had a very good career, but the injuries have caught up to him. Look at Pittsburgh’s last 4 1st rd picks(Edmunds, Bush, Fitzpatrick, Harris). Would you trade them for Rodgers? I would in a second. I am sorry. Rodgers is that special imop.
You don’t get straight equal talent in trades clearly you have no idea how they work. Your not getting 3 firsts for a an aging vet. Stafford only got 2 because lions had to take on goffs awful deal. Stafford is still in his prime and on an affordable contract
I know he is 4-5 years younger, but comparing Rodgers to Stafford is like comparing Jacob DeGroom to Steven Matz. Carson Palmer got back 2 1st rd draft picks. Trey Lance, from ND St, just got 3 1sts and more. Sure, he is a lot younger, but he has proven nothing, and was playing against nobody’s, not NFL players like Rodgers. Jalen Ramsey got traded for two 1sts recently. Heck, Orlando frickin Brown just got traded for a 1st rd pick from a team he was refusing to play for, and he isn’t even considered a top 5 player at his position by most. I am not even saying that GB will get that deal, but I wouldn’t even consider trading him if I didn’t. The idea of trading, possible, the best QB in the NFL, that may have 5 good years left, for a even a couple 1st rd picks, that will probably be in the mid to late 20’s, would just be beyond idiotic imop.
i would want 3 1st rd/ 2 2nd rds & Jeudy
And those in hell want ice water…
Well the draft is over and fan interest will wain until training camps begin. The NFL should schedule a prime time steel cage death match between Rodgers and Gutekunst during this lull period to resolve the matter once and for all.
Did Favre demand the GM that drafted Rodgers to be fired?
Let him either play out his contract, sit on the bench and mope, or let him retire. Packers made a mess by trading up for Love, but it took that to get him going again. He was on the decline until he had incentive again to play hard again.
Think raiders or saints make more sense in terms of talented roster and close to winning.
This is sports media trying to make this a thing and David Dunn..agent to Rodgers and Jordan Love..
Rodgers is a self centered narcissist who leaks through “his sources”what he’s doing to sabotage Green Bay.
Think about it… he’s telling free agents thinking about Green Bay he’s not coming back. He needs to go.
My thoughts are trade him and two firsts to the Seahawks for Wilson. Given the franchise history and O-line Wilson could add them to his list. Takes care of two disgruntled QB’s,gives Green Bay, their fans and their GM a future, and Rodgers gets what he deserves. Playing behind Seattle’s line will give him a chance to really prove his greatness.
I thought about this too. While, Wilson is definitely younger, the difference isn’t 2 1sts imop. I would think a 2nd and 3rd, or something along those lines. It kills two birds with one stone. Minus an unknown injury, Rodgers should play long enough to go thru Carroll’s remaining coaching term at his age.
Rob Demovsky is a buffoon. That is the real story.
“Rodgers sitting out the season would be preferable to his returning to the Packers under unfavorable circumstances, Favre adds. Rodgers has also spoken with Favre since this matter became public, having replied, “I’ll touch base with you after all this is over,” to a Favre text.”
This is the best part…
Favre is too busy grinding his own axe against the Packers to notice Rodgers is ignoring him and all 3 of his brain cells’ advice.
Rodgers REPLIED to a Favre text (who presumably reached out to offer support and/or advice) that he’ll be in touch “after all of this is over”, by which time Favre’s counsel would be moot.
If Rodgers wanted Favre’s advice, he would seek it before, not after, all of this is over…but Favre is too busy trying to make himself look good or the Packers look bad to notice that.
Please Lord, keep Jerry Jones away from all phones!
The ultimate irony would be Denver trading Courtland Sutton for Rodgers. Green Bay would finally get their receiver.
I would never give up a teams future on a 38 year old. If you do, you’re one injury away from being done for years.