Getty QB Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers throws a pass during the second quarter of a game against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on December 25, 2022 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
The Green Bay Packers are embroiled in a playoff hunt, but as soon as that’s over their quarterback conundrum will again be front and center.
The gist of the situation is this: Aaron Rodgers clearly still has a good amount left in the tank, but it’s unclear if he will ever achieve MVP form again. Meanwhile, backup Jordan Love is nearing the end of his third season, itching to see some starts and about to get considerably more expensive. Love is also expected to demand a trade should Rodgers return as the starter in 2023.
Something has got to give under center in Green Bay this offseason, and one possibility is that the Packers try to capitalize on Rodgers’ reputation by moving off his contract and bringing back a few assets while they’re still there to be had. Perhaps the most available asset on the market come February will be three-time Pro-Bowl quarterback Derek Carr of the Las Vegas Raiders, who was benched this week for the rest of the season.
Carr to Step Away From Raiders, Clearing Path to Trade With Packers For Rodgers
GettyQuarterback Derek Carr of the Las Vegas Raiders celebrates after a game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Allegiant Stadium on December 4, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Getty Images)
Whether the Packers will shop Rodgers is a legitimate question that is open to interpretation. But whether the Raiders are willing to deal Carr is a question the team appears already to have answered.
Paul Gutierrez of ESPN wrote on Thursday, December 29, that not only has Las Vegas benched Carr, but that ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler has confirmed with sources that the franchise and the quarterback came to the mutual decision that Carr will step away from the team for the remainder of the season so as “not to be a distraction.”
“Sources told Fowler that the Raiders made this move in part to maintain Carr’s health and keep their options open this offseason, including for a potential trade,” Gutierrez wrote. “The sources did note that the option for Carr to return in 2023 is still on the table.”
The move feels very much like the end of a nine-year relationship that began in Carr’s rookie campaign back in 2014, particularly because the Raiders are replacing him with quarterback Jarrett Stidham who has yet to start his first game in the NFL.
Carr has thrown for over 35,000 yards as a member of the Raiders, along with 217 touchdowns and 99 interceptions, per Pro Football Reference. He has been named to the Pro Bowl on three occasions and most recently led Las Vegas to the playoffs just last year.
Rodgers to Raiders Makes Sense After Team Traded With Packers For Davante Adams
GettyWide receiver Davante Adams (left), formerly of the Green Bay Packers, congratulates quarterback Aaron Rodgers (right) after scoring a two-point conversion during the second half of a game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Dignity Health Sports Park on November 3, 2019 in Carson, California.
Rodgers has threatened retirement and pushed for a trade multiple times over the previous two years, though he seemed to grow more content upon signing a three-year extension with the Packer worth more than $150 million over the offseason.
The massive amount of money he is owed, and the presence of Love in the locker room, who looked more than capable during the second half of a game against the NFL’s best Philadelphia Eagles (13-2) earlier this year, incentivize the Packers to consider trading Rodgers in ways the franchise has never been incentivized before.
The Raiders make sense as a trade partner for a multitude of reasons, and not just because Green Bay would likely be able to get Carr and potentially a second- or third-round pick back from Las Vegas in return.
The Packers and Raiders have dealt successfully in trades before, specifically last offseason when Green Bay sent wide receiver Davante Adams to Las Vegas for a couple of high draft picks.
Adams, a six-time Pro Bowler and a first-team All-Pro on two occasions, is arguably the best receiver with whom Rodgers has ever played. A reunion between the two might be more than just a plus for Rodgers, but also the only way for the Raiders to appease a wideout who pushed for a trade to Las Vegas specifically so that he could play alongside Carr.
“Obviously, I don’t think anybody was excited about it in here,” Adams told reporters of Carr’s benching on Wednesday. “You know, him being one of my really good friends and the reason why I came here in the first place, I mean, I wouldn’t be here right now if he wasn’t here, so I think everybody knows how I feel about him.”
Rodgers has also been linked in trades to the San Francisco 49ers in the past, and while a move west to Las Vegas isn’t quite the same, it is a move to a bigger television market in considerably warmer weather. The Raiders have a quality roster with experienced weapons like running back Josh Jacobs and tight end Darren Waller who complement Adams’ skill set and would make Rodgers’ hypothetical transition smooth.
Meanwhile, the Packers would have Carr and Love in their quarterback room, securing the position for the 2023 campaign and having both under contract for multiple years. Green Bay would have the flexibility to move off either one, potentially trading Love or flipping Carr again for more assets to build around whichever player ultimately won the quarterback battle.