What if Aaron Rodgers were starting for the 49ers against the Packers on Monday night?
This isn't an original idea — full disclaimer — but it is fun to think about alternative NFL realities ... such as: What if Aaron Rodgers were the San Francisco 49ers' starting quarterback Monday at Green Bay (perhaps a more compelling thought than mulling the actual game)?
Well ... first, the Niners would have had to pick Rodgers atop the 2005 draft — many expected San Fran to take the Northern California kid who played his collegiate ball in the Bay Area at Cal — instead of Alex Smith.
Next, Rodgers would have toiled for a few years, as Smith did on an undermanned roster, before taking flight under coach Jim Harbaugh in 2011. Rodgers would ultimately take his place alongside Joe Montana and Steve Young as 49ers legends while leading the franchise into a new dynastic age with a Super Bowl three-peat from 2011 through 2013. (Remember, Harbaugh's Niners reached the NFC Championship Game each of those seasons with Smith and Colin Kaepernick.)
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Elsewhere, Seattle never reaches a Super Bowl, and Pete Carroll gets fired because the Seahawks can't overtake the 49ers. He moves on to Michigan and resurrects the Wolverines into perennial national championship contenders. Itching for a new challenge — and angered by Carroll's presence at his alma mater — Harbaugh leaves San Francisco in 2018 to replace disgraced Urban Meyer at Ohio State. Harbaugh hires unemployed brother John to be his assistant head coach (more on that later), and hotshot Niners OC Kyle Shanahan takes over the big headset while continuing to call plays for Rodgers.
Meanwhile, Smith gets drafted 15th overall in 2005 by the Chiefs, replaces injured Trent Green in 2006 and goes on to become a regular Pro Bowler ... until he's supplanted by some kid named Patrick Mahomes.
And in Green Bay? Brett Favre officially retires (the first time) in March, 2008, forcing the Packers to draft Joe Flacco a month later. Favre eventually returns, of course, and leads the Packers to a Super Bowl XLV win (as Rodgers did) before riding off as the greatest player to ever be a member of the Pack. Flacco takes the reins in 2011, but the Packers draft Colin Kaepernick — did you know he was born in Milwaukee? — to be his backup, just in case.
Without Flacco, John Harbaugh calls old buddy Andy Reid to acquire Eagles backup quarterback Kevin Kolb. It doesn't go well, and Harbaugh gets fired in Baltimore. The Ravens later draft Christian Ponder. Oops.
The Jets, who never traded for Favre in 2008, draft Matt Ryan instead. Ryan and Rex Ryan lead the Jets to Super Bowl XLVI, but Rodgers reminds (Matt) Ryan he's no Joe Namath. The Favre-less Vikings reach the 2009 NFC Championship Game with rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez, but he throws six interceptions while losing to New Orleans and is never the same.
The Falcons wind up dealing imprisoned Michael Vick's rights to Philadelphia for Donovan McNabb, but he falters ... forcing Atlanta to pry unhappy Carson Palmer from Cincinnati in 2011. Flacco struggles in Green Bay and eventually leaves, forced to sign a series of deals for the veteran minimum until Bruce Arians resurrects his career in Arizona.
Finally, Rodgers and the 4-1 49ers roll into Lambeau tonight, favored by 5½ to beat Kaepernick's Packers.
Maybe.
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Follow Nate Davis on Twitter @ByNateDavis