Getty Quarterback Aaron Rodgers, of the Green Bay Packers, walks off the field against the Baltimore Ravens in the first half at M&T Bank Stadium on December 19, 2021 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
The Green Bay Packers don’t want to trade quarterback Aaron Rodgers but come this offseason, they may not have a choice.
A QB good enough to lead a team to the Super Bowl is a rare commodity. A three-time and reigning NFL MVP quarterback who is currently the odds-on favorite to win the award a fourth time is considerably rarer. A player of that caliber available via the trade market is so rare he almost never comes around. But when he does, every team with even a long shot to win a title lines up with a king’s ransom in hand to take their shot, even when the player is 39 years old and under contract for just one more season — as Rodgers is.
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Should Rodgers become available in the offseason, the Denver Broncos will be sure to bully their way to the front of the line. Brad Spielberger, of Pro Football Focus (PFF), published an article on December 20 laying out precisely what the Packers could expect to get back should they deal their MVP to Denver.
Rodgers Would Land Packers Massive Draft Package, Plus Players
GettyAaron Rodgers, of the Green Bay Packers, runs onto the field before the NFL game against the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field on December 12, 2021 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
According to Spielberger, the realistic trade package for Rodgers would include two first-round draft selections in 2022 and 2023, a second-round draft pick in 2022 and a third-round draft pick in 2023 — and that’s just the start of it.
The Packers would also potentially be in line to land a high quality player or two in the deal. Spielberger mentioned Bradley Chubb or Dre’Mont Jones as high-level defenders the Broncos might be willing to part with should Rodgers become available.
Green Bay would incur $26,847,138 in dead money, while the Broncos would inherit a contract valued at $26,970,588, should the deal go through.
“Rodgers will be 39 years old in 2022 and will likely be looking to sign an extension that makes him the NFL’s highest-paid quarterback on a per-year basis, which certainly factors into the value of any trade,” Spielberger wrote. “Nevertheless, the Packers have made it abundantly clear they are willing to let Rodgers retire before they accept a bad trade offer. So any interested team will still need to pay full price to acquire his services, especially considering the 2020 NFL MVP has a chance to repeat with a strong final month of the season.”
The Broncos are in position to part with some serious draft capital, Spielberger explained, after moving Von Miller to the Los Angeles Rams for a second-round pick and third-round pick in the upcoming NFL Draft, on top of holding the rights to their own picks across the top three rounds in 2022.
Further incentive for the Broncos to pay a hefty price for Rodgers is their setup across the rest of the roster. Rodgers would have several quality targets to whom to throw the ball, including wideouts Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton and Tim Patrick, as well as tight end Noah Fant. Beyond that, Spielberger pointed out that the Broncos offensive line grades out as the 10th best pass-blocking unit, per PFF’s rating system.
Rodgers, Packers Front-Runners for Super Bowl Appearance
GettyGreen Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Any trade talk between Green Bay and Denver — or Green Bay and any franchise — remain at this juncture nothing more than educated speculation.
However, Rodgers will be able to force the Packers’ hand come the offseason, should he choose to do so, because of how his deal is structured and because the team offered an olive branch last offseason in the form of releasing Rodgers from the final year of his contract. Had Green Bay decided not to bend in that regard, the QB would have been under contract for two more years rather than just one, erasing much of his leverage to push for a trade.
The best way for the Packers to keep Rodgers in town is to win it all this year. As of Friday, they are in a position to do exactly that. Green Bay leads the entire league with an 11-3 record, one game up on the Dallas Cowboys, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC, as well as the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC.
The Packers host the injury- and virus-hampered Cleveland Browns on Christmas Day, before finishing the season with the Minnesota Vikings at home in Week 17 and the Detroit Lions on the road in Week 18. As of Friday, December 24, the Packers were tied with the Chiefs as favorites to win the Super Bowl with odds of +450, per Caesars Sportsbook.
Bringing the second title of his tenure back to Green Bay could entice Rodgers to finish out his career in the green and gold. And if the 44-year-old Tom Brady’s longevity is any indication, that could prove to be several more seasons to come.