Getty The Green Bay Packers could land a ton of draft picks in an Aaron Rodgers trade.
The Green Bay Packers are facing a lot of tough decisions in the 2023 offseason, but a potential trade that would send future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers to the AFC could help the franchise jumpstart their rebuild.
With a 6-8 record, the Packers are still in the hunt for a playoff berth this season, but once 2022 is over, it’s unclear what the future will hold for Rodgers. The 39-year-old quarterback had contemplated retirement last season, and will have to make a similar decision this offseason.
However, if Rodgers decides to stay and is ok with playing for a different team in 2023, Brad Spielberger with Pro Football Focus has an ideal trade proposal for both parties. In the proposal, the Packers would send Rodgers to the New York Jets in exchange for two first-round picks and two second-round picks in 2023 and 2024.
“Even with Rodgers turning 39 earlier in December and playing on the richest contract in the NFL, he’s still potentially worth a trade package roughly in line with Russell Wilson’s — though perhaps Wilson’s performance scares some teams from pulling the trigger,” Spielberger said. “Rodgers has shown recently he can adapt to new systems and isn’t at risk of regressing to the same magnitude. There are no real concerns from a play standpoint, but he may not offer a large enough playing window to command a return of this degree.”
Could Aaron Rodgers Retire in 2023?
Although a trade could help the Packers usher in a new era in Green Bay, there’s also the chance that the team gets nothing in return for their back-to-back MVP if Rodgers decides to retire after this season.
Considering his level of play this year, retirement is certainly on the table for Rodgers. His 10 interceptions mark just the third time in his career that he’s had double-digit interceptions in one season, and it’s the first time he’s done so since 2010. Meanwhile, his passer rating of 92.3 is the lowest of his career as a full-time starter.
That drop in performance, along with Rodgers turning 40 years old in December of 2023, will play significant factors in his decision to retire. However, the financial implications of this decision could convince him to stick it out for at least one more season.
Rodgers is set to make nearly $60 million in 2023 if he decides to come back, along with nearly $50 million in 2024 and additional money in 2025 and 2026. For as successful as Rodgers has been and for as much money as he’d made throughout his career, those paydays would be hard to turn down for a player who is still capable of playing at 39 years old.
Regardless, fans won’t know what Rodgers plans to do until after the 2022 season is over.
What Does This Mean for Jordan Love?
While Rodgers has the luxury of taking his time to decide what his future holds, his backup Jordan Love is anxiously waiting for an opportunity to be a starting quarterback in the NFL.
The former first-round pick in 2020 was expected to be Rodgers’ successor, but has only played sparingly in his first three seasons in the league. The 24-year-old is reportedly getting impatient, with Love considering a trade request if Rodgers comes back in 2023, just so that he can have an opportunity to finally be a starting QB.
If Rodgers is traded or decides to retire, it will make things much more clear for Love and his future. However, until that decision is made, Love has no choice but to keep waiting for his opportunity to play.