GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN - OCTOBER 20: Aaron Rodgers #12 of the Green Bay Packers leaves the field following a game against the Oakland Raiders at Lambeau Field on October 20, 2019 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
The Packers and Aaron Rodgers find themselves in a standoff. Reports about Rodgers’s discontent with the Packers’ front office after years of not building a stronger supporting cast around him emerged on the first night of the 2021 NFL Draft. Though no deal is imminent, a trade for the nine-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro is more likely than not.
The 37-year-old is coming off one of his best seasons yet, earning 2020 NFL MVP honors, under head coach Matt LaFleur. He accumulated a league-leading and career-best 70.7 completion rate for 4,299 yards, a whopping 48 touchdowns, and just 5 interceptions. Rodgers remains a top 3 quarterback in the NFL without question.
Many teams would undoubtedly be interested in Rodgers if everything was equal. But money matters and giving up assets and dealing with cap hits in trades can limit what’s possible for certain teams. For example, the Steelers wouldn’t be able to dump Ben Roethlisberger to acquire Rodgers because of contract structures.
How the Packers view Jordan Love, their first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, is another interesting wrinkle. If they think he’ll be a legitimate star, they can agree on a package without a veteran or blue-chip young quarterback coming back. Teams like the Dolphins and the Jets could package their young signal callers along with picks if they wanted, but the Packers may prefer to build around Love.
Keeping the financial limitations in mind and considering how likely it is a team would give up on their current quarterback and move additional assets, we’ve come up with five trade destinations for Rodgers that actually make sense.
Raiders
Packers get: QB Derek Carr, 2022 first-round pick, 2022 second-round pick, 2023 first-round pick
Raiders get: Rodgers
Credit has to be given to Jon Gruden and Derek Carr for the increase in impact the QB experienced in 2020. The 30-year-old Carr did more than just post impressive numbers last season and has actual value beyond cumulative stats. Gruden should only move on from Carr if a clear upgrade is available.
Rodgers obviously qualifies as a better talent than Carr. Gruden has long anguished over passing on Rodgers back in the 2005 draft, and righting that wrong could change how Chucky’s tenure in Vegas is viewed. They’d become a can’t miss watch each week.
Gruden is already a great game-planner and play-designer. Often, the personnel in Vegas has been a bigger issue than the in-season preparation on offense. Gruden and Mike Mayock have completely failed to build this team as a contender in the offseasons.
Getting Rodgers would help fix some of those issues. The clock is ticking on Rodgers, but the Raiders’ defense appears to still be far away. At best, the Raiders would be competing for second-place in the AFC West with the Chargers even with Rodgers.
The Packers would get a nice haul of picks and Carr. Carr could start in 2021 and be moved next offseason for another pick, or if an injury occurs prior to the trade deadline, be rerouted elsewhere.
Giants
Packers get: WR Sterling Shepard, 2022 first-round pick, 2022 first-round pick (from Bears), 2023 first-round pick, 2023 second-round pick
Giants get: Rodgers
Seeing the Giants pass on Justin Fields in order to give Daniel Jones another chance after being terrible in his first two seasons had to give fans massive pause about this regime. Jones has struggled dearly with turnovers and staying healthy. There’s a lack of natural feeling for the game with Jones, and his status as a developmental talent hasn’t changed.
Relegating Jones to the bench or auctioning him off for a mid-round pick (at best) in order to usher in Rodgers would be well worth the cost. Their trade down to land Kadarius Toney netted them an extra pick in 2022 to use, and their roster is good enough to justify losing some early selections. They can bolster the offensive line with veterans wanting to join Rodgers in the Big Apple.
The NFC East is open for a team to rise up and take the division. Rodgers wouldn’t immediately make the Giants a serious title contender, but they’d be a favorite to make the playoffs. Possibly more important is it keeps this regime in good standing with ownership as a competitor.
Dolphins
Packers get: QB Tua Tagovailoa, 2022 first-round pick, 2022 second-round pick, 2023 first-round pick
Dolphins get: Rodgers
Now we’re getting to the teams that’d instantly jump to a Super Bowl contender with the addition of Rodgers. The Packers would surely prefer to trade Rodgers into the AFC and not have to worry about seeing him once every few years. It’s possible there’s only one or two matchups between Green Bay and an AFC team left in Rodgers’s career.
Miami would vault from an up-and-coming team with a great defense to seeing their dreams as a contender come true. This trade would complete a massive overhaul under head coach Brian Flores. Moving Tua Tagovailoa, either to the Packers or being rerouted for Green Bay to collect more assets, for Rodgers removes any question marks about whether the Dolphins have what they need at quarterback to win big.
Rodgers would love Miami’s deep corps of receivers. DeVante Parker, Jaylen Waddle, Mike Gesicki, and Will Fuller would be the most dynamic and speed-oriented offense he’s been a part of throughout his career.
Washington Football Team
Packers get: QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, 2022 first-round pick, 2022 second-round pick, 2023 first-round pick, 2023 second-round pick
Washington gets: Rodgers
Washington is absolutely the NFC team that’d take a massive leap if the offense was in Rodgers’s hands. This would be similar to Tom Brady joining the 7-9 Buccaneers and winning a title the next season.
With Rodgers’s ability to fit into any scheme and transcend it when needed, WFT would surely be able to tweak its vertical passing attack to more of a wide-zone run game that relies on play-action to create bigger passing windows. Washington offensive coordinator Scott Turner has shown he can work with a variety of skill sets and create production. He’d have a much easier time with Rodgers and a deeper cast of playmakers to utilize.
Washington could stand to add to their offensive line to help protect Rodgers and promote a healthier running game. But Terry McLaurin, Curtis Samuel, Cam Sims, Kelvin Harmon, and Antonio Gandy-Golden are part of a good young cast. It’s plenty of offense needed to win a Super Bowl with the top-three defense Washington already has.
Broncos
Packers get: CB Patrick Surtain II, WR Tim Patrick, 2022 first-round pick, 2023 first-round pick
Broncos get: Rodgers, CB Eric Stokes
Things were weird when the Broncos were on the clock and passed on Fields. Entering the season with Teddy Bridgewater and Drew Lock as potential starters simply isn’t good enough when better options are available. After reports of Denver being in talks with Green Bay about Rodgers, it makes sense why the Broncos would take a third cornerback in the first-round.
Denver has excellent receiving talent and a solid offensive line to surround Rodgers. They also have a tenacious defense loaded with playmakers. Head coach Vic Fangio could entrust the veteran quarterback to run his offense with Pat Shurmer and focus on the defense.
Adding Rodgers would pit the Broncos against the Chiefs and Bills as AFC powerhouses, and it seems impossible another team could leap into that trio. Swapping first-round cornerbacks and surrendering talented receiver Tim Patrick plus picks would be a small price to pay to bust into elite company.