There are a handful of teams in the mix to trade for Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers but don’t count out an old favorite just yet.
The Packers are reportedly finished with Rodgers and would prefer to trade him to the AFC, but for a franchise on the verge of a reset with Jordan Love under center, it makes sense for Green Bay to take the best offer on the table regardless of where it comes from.
The New York Jets have been the presumptive favorites to land Rodgers this offseason but have made positive progress with free agent Derek Carr in multiple meetings over the past week. If the Jets exit the quarterback arms race and leave Rodgers on the market, his trade value is bound to slip.
At that point, any franchise willing to make a solid offer becomes a contender and despite having two QBs in their early 20s already on the roster, the San Francisco 49ers make for an intriguing trade partner.
Injuries to 49ers QBs Have Opened Door to Trade For Aaron Rodgers
GettyQuarterback Trey Lance of the San Francisco 49ers looks on from the sidelines against the Green Bay Packers during a preseason game at Levi’s Stadium on August 12, 2022 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
The Niners sent the Miami Dolphins two first-round picks and a third-rounder in 2021 to move up from No. 12 to No. 3 in the NFL Draft and select Trey Lance.
Lance played behind Jimmy Garoppolo in his rookie year before taking the reins as the starter in 2022. But Lance sustained a severe ankle injury in Week 2 that required surgery and ended his season. Garoppolo took back over until he hurt his foot in Week 13 and exited for the year.
Then seventh-round rookie Brock Purdy stepped in and led the Niners to eight straight wins until he tore the UCL in his throwing elbow and was forced to exit the NFC Championship Game.
Garoppolo is likely gone in free agency this offseason and is a target of the Las Vegas Raiders, another potential Rodgers’ destination that could come off the board sooner than later. Lance and Purdy are both expected to be healthy by this summer and could simply battle it out in training camp for the starting job.
But Purdy’s success, coupled with his low salary and that he remains under contract with San Francisco for the next three seasons, makes Lance expendable — even despite all the 49ers spent in draft capital to acquire him.
Packers Can Land 3 Draft Picks From 49ers in Aaron Rodgers Trade
GettyQuarterback Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers celebrates after a play during overtime against the Dallas Cowboys at Lambeau Field on November 13, 2022 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
The Niners have played in three of the last four NFC Championship Games and were arguably a completion away from a Super Bowl victory over the Kansas City Chiefs three years ago. Many of the team’s core contributors are returning in 2023, and it’s difficult to see any other franchise as the NFC favorite if San Francisco is able to run Rodgers out under center next season.
If Green Bay is willing to deal its four-time MVP to perhaps its greatest playoff rival of the last decade, everything else boils down to price. San Francisco doesn’t have a first-round selection to send the Packers, but if the Jets and the Raiders aren’t in the bidding, Rodgers could be had for a lower cost.
The Niners won’t make a selection in this year’s draft until the third round, when they will pick 99th, 100th and 101st overall, all of which are compensatory selections. However, the team does own most of its draft in 2024. If San Francisco decides to roll with Purdy over Lance, then the latter becomes a roster redundancy and can still be shopped to one of several QB-needy teams.
The 49ers will need a higher-end pick if they hope to land Rodgers, which means the team would probably need to deal Lance to a franchise like the Carolina Panthers that would be likely to part with its second-round selection (No. 39 overall) for a shot to mold the inexperienced and injured Lance into a legitimate NFL starter.
In turn, the Niners can take that No. 39 pick, package it with the 99th overall selection in the third round this year and their own second-round selection in next year’s draft (likely somewhere in the range of 60th overall) and send all three to Green Bay for a couple years at the end of Rodgers’ career.
While aforementioned proposal is comprised of a great many moving pieces, it is precisely the sort of offer that could get a deal done for Rodgers if competition for his services is limited and the Packers are truly ready to move into the next era of Green Bay football.
Comments
Packers Trade Proposal Flips Rodgers to NFC West For Major Draft Haul