Getty QB Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers reacts after throwing a touchdown pass during a game against the Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Field on January 1, 2023 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Kayla Wolf/Getty Images)
Aaron Rodgers‘ future with the Green Bay Packers beyond this season remains a question mark, while developments out west are rendering a talented AFC squad a more and more viable answer.
Win or lose, the Las Vegas Raiders‘ campaign comes to an end on Saturday, January 7, with a home game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Quarterback Derek Carr won’t play in the game and is unlikely to ever suit up in silver and black again after a nine-year stint with the team stretching back to its days in Oakland.
#Raiders QB Derek Carr is officially inactive for what will probably be the last game in his last season with Las Vegas.
“Raiders QB Derek Carr is officially inactive for what will probably be the last game in his last season with Las Vegas,” NFL reporter Dov Kleiman tweeted.
One player who will be active is wide receiver Davante Adams, who made the Pro Bowl for the sixth consecutive time this year and who happens to be one of Carr’s best friends in the world. He’s also the most likely first domino to fall in an offseason scenario that sees Rodgers and Carr swap jobs, reuniting the Packers’ quarterback with the best receiver he’s ever had.
Adams’ Desire For Say in Raiders’ QB Situation Opens Door Wider For Rodgers Trade
GettyWide receivers coach Edgar Bennett (left) and wide receiver Davante Adams (right) of the Las Vegas Raiders talk on the sideline during a game against the Denver Broncos at Allegiant Stadium on October 2, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
After playing his first eight NFL seasons with Rodgers in Green Bay, Adams signed a five-year deal worth $140 million to come to Vegas and join Carr. Needless to say, Adams wasn’t thrilled about the Raiders’ choice to ditch his buddy for the remainder of the year, and it appears for the remainder of the QB’s career.
However, with four years left on his contract, there’s only so much power the receiver has within his organization. He flexed it earlier this week, not to demand a trade or that the franchise retain Carr, but instead to ensure that Adams has some say in who will replace him.
#Raiders WR Davante Adams said he wants input in the QB decision this offseason, but that he’ll be staying put in 2023, regardless. Everyone can relax now 😂
“Raiders WR Davante Adams said he wants input in the QB decision this offseason, but that he’ll be staying put in 2023 regardless,” Tashan Reed of The Athletic tweeted on Wednesday. “Everyone can relax now 😂.”
With the Packers’ QB potentially available, Carr and a mid-round draft pick to use as trade pieces, and Adams’ and Rodgers’ history of amicable success to fall back on, the Raiders have become a legitimate destination for Rodgers should he end up moving this offseason.
Jordan Love Makes Rodgers Tradable For Team Willing to Take on Contract
GettyQB Aaron Rodgers (left), backup QB Jordan Love (center) and head coach Matt LaFleur (right) of the Green Bay Packers look on during a game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on December 4, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
The kicker in the entire scenario is Packers backup quarterback Jordan Love. Green Bay must decide by May whether to exercise his fifth-year option, which will cost around $20 million and keep Love locked down through the 2024 season.
Rodgers is under contract for two more years and is owed around $60 million next season. That money would be difficult for any team to absorb, though it wouldn’t be a huge leap for the Raiders if they included Carr in a trade with Green Bay. Carr recently signed a three-year deal with Las Vegas worth $121.5 million overall.
The yearly cash total for Rodgers is significantly more in 2023 than it is for Carr, though Carr’s salary cap hit is actually around $3 million higher next season than Rodgers’. Carr is a three-time Pro-Bowl selection who can either serve as a bridge to Love or compete with him for the starting spot in 2023 and/or the following season. Either player would be a trade chip for the Packers moving forward, and the team could save money in the process by doing a deal for Rodgers.
It remains unclear whether Rodgers is interested in returning to Green Bay next season, though a Sunday Night Football matchup against the Detroit Lions in Week 18, which will determine whether the Packers make or miss the playoffs, could factor into his decision.
“If #Packers win Sunday, they’ll be the NFC’s 7th seed. That means no more games at Lambeau Field,” Ryan Wood of USA Today tweeted on Wednesday. “Asked Aaron Rodgers if he has clarity on this potentially being his last game at Lambeau. He acknowledged the possibility will be on his mind, but reiterated decision will come in offseason.”
A number of other issues will have a claim on what Rodgers wants, including the Packers’ offensive outlook for 2023 and what the team is willing to spend in free agency, trade and/or draft capital to improve it, the development of wide receiver Christian Watson, and Rodgers’ chances of playing for a Super Bowl contender while finally moving westward to a warmer and larger market — something in which he’s voiced interest on multiple occasions over the previous few years.
Adams’ presence in Vegas, his influence with the franchise’s personnel decisions, and the void under center likely to be left by Carr’s impending departure all combine to legitimately elevate the Raiders into the discussion of potential destinations for Rodgers come 2023.