If Aaron Rodgers isn't with the Green Bay Packers next season, here are 5 likely trade partners
GREEN BAY – At one point late last year, Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst told an NFL colleague he was convinced it was time the organizatiom move on from quarterback Aaron Rodgers and see what Jordan Love had in him.
Whether Gutekunst was frustrated over the team’s mounting losses, realized that Rodgers wanted to start a new chapter in his life or believed it was Love's time to take over the team, isn't clear. But the colleague was certain Gutekunst had given a lot of thought to what the team would look like without Rodgers.
Whatever Gutekunst and Rodgers discussed immediately after the season and will discuss should Rodgers decide he wants to play next season will be paramount to whatever Gutekunst was thinking that day. The emotion of blowing a chance to make the playoffs in the regular-season finale and the bitter taste of an 8-9 season should be removed by then.
The Packers first must find out what Rodgers wants to do: return, retire or ask for a trade. The Packers have no choice from a salary cap position to deny Rodgers a chance to return for the ’23 season, and so Gutekunst will have to embrace the possibility Love will sit on the bench for a fourth straight year.
But Rodgers has entertained discussion about playing for another team on his weekly appearance on the Pat McAfee Show, saying he didn’t want to be part of a rebuild and would understand if the Packers decided they wanted to let the younger Love become their featured player.
The possibility Rodgers will finish his career with a different franchise than the one that drafted him is real. If Gutekunst, in his head, has moved on, then the next order of business would be finding a team willing to make a trade. Rodgers has the ability to nix a trade to a team he doesn't want to go to by just threatening to retire, so the options are very limited.
So, it will come down to the best fit for Rodgers, the most compensation the Packers can get and the new team's ability to handle a $15 million cap hit this year that comes with his contract.
Where could he go? Who would want him? What would be his best fit? With the college scouting combine less than two weeks away, it's time to consider the possibilities.
Here is a look at the five best fits if he were to seek a trade:
Las Vegas Raiders
Coach: Josh McDaniels
Offensive coordinator: Mick Lombardi
Connections: Wide receiver Davante Adams, wide receivers coach Edgar Bennett, defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, defensive backs coach Jason Simmons
Offense: Ron Erhardt/Ray Perkins-based
Cap situation: About $46 million under
Current QB under contract: Chase Garbers
Would Rodgers be a good fit: The fit would partly depend on how much leeway McDaniels would give Rodgers in running the offense. He comes from a different system than what Rodgers is used to. “All the offenses have similar concepts nowadays, so it wouldn’t be hard,” one play-caller for an NFC team said. Having Adams and Bennett around would strengthen Rodgers’ influence and possibly make McDaniels more open to doing things the quarterback’s way. “I see that being a great spot to live for him, and also having Adams is a plus,” a former Packers assistant said. “But I see (Nathaniel) Hackett-Rodgers as a better marriage than McDaniels-Rodgers.” Having Rodgers in silver and black likely would help grow the fan base and get more locals to drown out the noise of the throngs of visiting-team fans that show up at every game.
Would Rodgers want to go there: McDaniels isn’t easy to get along with. Based on a report in Sports Illustrated, McDaniels tore apart veteran quarterback Derek Carr in meetings and it led to problems. It would be a test of both men’s patience. But as one NFL personnel man said, McDaniels would have to cater to Rodgers because if he didn’t, owner Mark Davis would fire him. If Rodgers comes in knowing that, the leverage is all on his side. “He'll respect Josh's intelligence but their personalities and how they see the player-coach relationship may be a bit different,” the former Packers assistant said. There’s no question Rodgers’ drop in performance in ’22 was partly related to not having Adams around, so this would offer him a chance to be a touchdown-throwing machine again. The Raiders are strong at offensive tackle with Kolton Miller and Jermaine Eluemunor and if they can re-sign running back Josh Jacobs, Rodgers would have all the tools he needs to be successful. The Raiders probably would have to part with tight end Darren Waller, whom the Packers have been chasing for several years, in the trade, but they still would have Hunter Renfrow, Mack Hollins and plenty of cap space to sign offensive targets for Rodgers.
Draft picks: 1st (No. 7), 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 7th
Carolina Panthers
Coach: Frank Reich
Offensive coordinator: Josh McCown
Connections: Offensive line coach James Campen, senior defensive assistant Dom Capers, defensive coordinator Ejero Evero, long-snapper J.J. Jansen
Offense: West Coast-based
Cap situation: About $10 million over.
Current quarterbacks under contract: P.J. Walker, Matt Corral
Would Rodgers be a good fit: This might be the best all-around fit for Rodgers. He and Campen were very close when the latter was the offensive line coach in Green Bay (2007-’18) and the connection between the two would go a long way in helping Reich and McCown know how to build the offense around the quarterback. Rodgers won a Super Bowl with Capers, and Evero was a quality control assistant in Green Bay, so he would have other people around who know him. Then, there’s a former NFL quarterback, McCown, serving as a coordinator, lending credibility to his coaching in Rodgers’ eyes. Owner David Tepper reportedly made a run at DeShaun Watson last year and, after seeing Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold muddle around last year, he might be inclined to make a run at Rodgers. It would drive interest in the Panthers through the roof after three lousy years under Matt Rhule. Their GM is a big fan of Rodgers, and they have plenty of options to reduce cap space to fit in Rodgers’ $15 million cap hit. But they have a plan to rebuild and might not want to give up the picks. “I think they will at least look into it,” one of the assistants said.
Would Rodgers want to go there: Reich spent time with Mike McCoy and Andy Reid, both of whom are disciples of Mike Holmgren and the West Coast offense. Reich is also a former NFL quarterback, so he would be able to figure out quickly what Rodgers wanted in the offense. Though the Panthers traded running back Christian McCaffrey, they have a franchise receiver in DJ Moore, two young receivers with lots of potential (Terrace Marshall and Laviska Shenault) and one of the best, up-and-coming offensive lines in the league, led by the tackle tandem of Ikem Ekwonu and Taylor Moton. With the defensive talent they have, the Panthers would instantly be the favorite to win the NFC South if they added Rodgers. Aside from Jansen, receiver Andre Roberts and punter Johnny Hekker, there aren’t a lot of guys in their mid-30s on the roster, but Rodgers might be able to get them to sign Randall Cobb and Marcedes Lewis.
Draft picks: 1st (No. 9), 2nd, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 4th, 5th
New York Jets
Coach: Robert Saleh
Offensive coordinator: Nathaniel Hackett
Connections: Hackett, quarterback Zach Wilson
Offense: Kyle Shanahan-based
Cap situation: About $3 million over
Current QBs under contract: Wilson, Chris Steveler
Would Rodgers be a good fit: They don’t have any big-time free agents to re-sign and could gain considerable cap room with the conversion of multiple base salaries into signing bonuses. Rodgers would be able to transform the offense to his liking with Hackett in charge. Not a lot will change because Mike LaFleur, Matt’s brother, used the same system last year. Owner Woody Johnson needed a scapegoat for the offensive troubles and fired LaFleur, but he must have had the thought of bringing in Rodgers when they hired Hackett. The Jets have a rising star in second-year receiver Garrett Wilson, a solid tight end in Tyler Conklin and a couple of speed burners in Corey Davis and Braxton Berrios. The upside for the Jets is that Rodgers could tutor Zach Wilson, who has been a flop on and off the field. He must repair his relationship with the players and figure out the NFL game. He and Rodgers seemed to hit it off when they spent time together at joint practices in 2021 in Green Bay.
Would Rodgers want to go there: Getting to play under Hackett again with a real defense to back him up would be an enviable situation. The Jets won’t have a lot of cap room after absorbing Rodgers’ contract, so how much better they can get offensively is a question mark. They have a ton of talent on the offensive line. Three of their starters are first-round picks, so there’s hope they’ll be a formidable unit next year. Saleh and Matt LaFleur are best friends, so Saleh knows what he’s getting with Rodgers and Rodgers would know what he’s getting with Saleh. The Buffalo Bills own the division but there’s plenty of room for the Jets to nudge their way into the NFC East race. The biggest consideration for Rodgers is the New York vibe. He grew up in a California town the same size as Green Bay and has enjoyed a career of being treated right by fans and the media. In New York, he could be king if he plays well, but if he doesn’t, he would be a fish in a barrel for angry fans and the back page editor of the New York Post. “As everyone knows, New York is a living, breathing organism,” one of the assistant coaches said.
Draft picks: 1st (No. 13), 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th
Tennessee Titans
Coach: Mike Vrabel
Offensive coordinator: Tim Kelley
Connections: Assistant general manager Chad Brinker
Offense: Some Shanahan principles
Cap situation: $23 million over
Current QBs under contract: Ryan Tannehill, Malik Willis, Joshua Dobbs
Would Rodgers be a good fit: The Titans don’t exactly have the high-octane passing game that Rodgers is used to. They win with defense and a strong running game and Rodgers would be expected to adhere to that. The wide receiver position is devoid of a No. 1 target and with the team’s current salary cap situation, it might be hard to add top receiver talent. Vrabel is a no-nonsense coach who didn’t take kindly to Rodgers teasing him during a break in action when the Packers and Titans played last year. But Rodgers has expressed admiration for Vrabel and his style of coaching. Vrabel knows Rodgers could be the difference in the Titans winning the AFC South and would probably do anything to make him happy.
Would Rodgers want to go there: His best friend, Cobb, owns a home in the Nashville area. So, does left tackle David Bakhtiari’s brother. Rodgers was reported to have bought a property around Nashville, but it hasn’t been confirmed. Given his interest in the music industry – he started an independent recording label – Nashville would be an attractive place to live, but from a football standpoint, it means nothing. Vrabel’s offensive coordinator, Tim Kelly, was in college when Rodgers became an NFL starter. He is the brother of former Rodgers teammate Dennis Kelly. The Titans ran the Shanahan system under Matt LaFleur (2018) and Arthur Smith (2019-’20), so it wouldn’t be a hard transition to go back to those roots. The Titans rely heavily on running back Derrick Henry and don’t have a lot of talent on the offensive line, so Rodgers might feel his talents would go to waste.
Draft picks: 1st (No. 11), 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 7th
Seattle Seahawks
Coach: Pete Carroll
Offensive coordinator: Shane Waldron
Connections: General manager John Schneider, run game coordinator Chad Morton, safety Josh Jones
Offense: Shanahan-based
Cap situation: $31 million under
Current QBs under contract: None
Would Rodgers be a good fit: This is probably more of a long shot. The Seahawks were happy with veteran quarterback Geno Smith and have said they’d like to re-sign him. He had a terrific season at age 32, but if the Seahawks are going to pay big, they might just want to spend it on a future Hall of Famer. Receiver DK Metcalf would become Rodgers’ Adams, and Tyler Lockett and tight end Noah Fant would be a killer combination. Schneider was a top aide to GM Ted Thompson when the Packers selected Rodgers in the draft and has long loved his talent. On the other hand, he and Carroll are fresh off the Russell Wilson experience and might not want to deal with another guy who occupies so much space in the universe. Schneider had a great draft in ’22, bolstering the offensive line and mining a diamond in running back Kenneth Walker III.
Would Rodgers want to go there: Carroll is the biggest personality in the building and so there would be some competition for control. But Carroll is going to win out because of the trust of ownership and Rodgers would have to accept that. It would be the opposite of the McDaniels experience. The Seahawks have the cap space and the draft picks to make things interesting. Schneider will be looking for a young quarterback and could take one with the No. 5 pick and then let him learn for a year or two under Rodgers. The offense would be very familiar. Waldron was Rams coach Sean McVay’s offensive coordinator and was tight ends coach when Matt LaFleur was offensive coordinator, so Rodgers would fit in easily.
Draft picks: 1st (No. 5), 1st (No. 20), 2nd, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 5th, 6th